STS-41 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex (LC) Pad 39 mobile launcher platform at 7:47 am (Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)). OV-103 riding atop the external tank (ET) and flanked by two solid rocket boosters (SRBs), is captured just moments after liftoff. Not yet clear of the fixed service structure (FSS) tower, OV-103 is highlighted against the cloudless morning sky. Exhaust smoke billows from the SRBs and the space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) creating a cloud over the launch pad area.
Looking from the east, over the Atlantic Ocean, this aerial view shows the construction on Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, previously used to launch 17 Titan III and 10 Titan IV rockets. Lockheed Martin Astronautics razed the old towers that supported their last Titan launch in April 1999 to make way for construction of this new Atlas V launch facility. The launch pad abuts the Atlantic Ocean on the east, seen here in the foreground.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket, awaits launch at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch was delayed 24 hours to investigate an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Atlas V was cleared to launch on Aug. 12 between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket, is reflected in a puddle following an afternoon shower at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch was delayed 24 hours to investigate an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Atlas V was cleared to launch on Aug. 12 between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket, awaits launch at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch was delayed 24 hours to investigate an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Atlas V was cleared to launch on Aug. 12 between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket, awaits launch at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch was delayed 24 hours to investigate an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Atlas V was cleared to launch on Aug. 12 between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket, awaits launch at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch was delayed 24 hours to investigate an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Atlas V was cleared to launch on Aug. 12 between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket, awaits launch at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch was delayed 24 hours to investigate an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Atlas V was cleared to launch on Aug. 12 between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur arrives on Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians observe NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, with and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, during installation of the fairing. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, an Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Pat Corkery/Lockheed Martin)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) launches at 7:43 a.m. EDT atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 12. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first Atlas V launch. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Viewed through a break in the greenscape around Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the 19-stories-tall Atlas V launch vehicle roars off the launch pad, propelling the two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) into a clear blue Florida sky and eventual orbit around Mars. Liftoff was at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, an Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Pat Corkery/Lockheed Martin)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Atlas V/Centaur is undergoing a wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test. The Atlas V is being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. Surrounding the vehicle are four lightning towers. Following the rehearsal, the launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the Vertical Integration Facility on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch as the fairing halves move together to enclose NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch as the fairing halves come together around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent.The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At 7:43 a.m. EDT an Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, lifts off the pad on Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Tom Rogers)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch the joining of the fairing halves around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Trailing smoke and fire, an Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Tom Rogers)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur is moving from the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to Launch Complex-41. At left are two of the four lightning towers that surround the pad for protection against possible lightning strikes. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians move the first half of the fairing toward NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, with NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, for installation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just minutes after liftoff, the 19-stories-tall Atlas V launch vehicle, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars into the clear blue sky from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff was at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Tom Rogers)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Trailing smoke and fire, the 19-stories-tall Atlas V launch vehicle, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Tom Rogers)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur nears Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Behind it at right is one of the four lightning towers that surround the pad for protection against possible lightning strikes. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The 19-stories-tall Atlas V launch vehicle, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, leaps away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur arrives on Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Lightning towers surround the pad for protection against possible lightning strikes. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch as the fairing halves move together to enclose NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) launches at 7:43 a.m. EDT atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 12. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first Atlas V launch. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur arrives on Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Lightning towers surround the pad for protection against possible lightning strikes. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., the fairing halves are moved apart for another attempt at installation around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) launches at 7:43 a.m. EDT atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 12. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first Atlas V launch. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Seen on the horizon just past the NASA News Center’s countdown clock, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) launches at 7:43 a.m. EDT atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first Atlas V launch. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Atlas V/Centaur is undergoing a wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test. The Atlas V is being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. Surrounding the vehicle are four lightning towers. Following the rehearsal, the launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the Vertical Integration Facility on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, are being prepared for fairing installation. On the right side of the LRO is part of the solar array. At far right is part of the fairing that will be installed around the spacecraft for launch. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, an Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Pat Corkery/Lockheed Martin)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, an Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall, with a two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on top, roars away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions. (Photo Credit: Pat Corkery/Lockheed Martin)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS,wait for fairing installation. The fairing halves are on left and right of the spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., garbed media representatives attend a showing of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch as the first half of the fairing is moved into place for installation around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. At right is the second half. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) launches at 7:43 a.m. EDT atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 12. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first Atlas V launch. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The 19-stories-tall Atlas V launch vehicle leaps above the trees near Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, propelling the two-ton Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) into a clear blue Florida sky and eventual orbit around Mars. Liftoff was at 7:43 a.m. EDT. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first launch of an Atlas V on an interplanetary mission. MRO established radio contact with controllers 61 minutes after launch and within four minutes of separation from the upper stage. Initial contact came through an antenna at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006. The orbiter carries six scientific instruments for examining the surface, atmosphere and subsurface of Mars in unprecedented detail from low orbit. NASA expects to get several times more data about Mars from MRO than from all previous Martian missions combined. Researchers will use the instruments to learn more about the history and distribution of Mars' water. That information will improve understanding of planetary climate change and will help guide the quest to answer whether Mars ever supported life. The orbiter will also evaluate potential landing sites for future missions.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS,are being prepared for fairing installation. Seen here are the solar arrays. In the background at left, with the decals, is part of the fairing that will be installed around the spacecraft for launch. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, are being prepared for fairing installation. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur nears Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. At right in the background are two of the four lightning towers that surround the pad for protection against possible lightning strikes. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., the fairing halves have been joined to enclose NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, are being prepared for fairing installation. At left, with the decals, is part of the fairing that will be installed around the spacecraft for launch. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur arrives on Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, a scrub jay keeps watch of activity. On the pad, the Atlas V/Centaur is undergoing a wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test. The Atlas V is being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. Following the rehearsal, the launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the Vertical Integration Facility on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Viewed from the NASA News Center, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket streaks through the morning sky. The MRO launched at 7:43 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. All systems performed nominally for NASA's first Atlas V launch. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in March 2006. Once in orbit around Mars, various instruments on the MRO will convey detailed observations of the Martian surface, subsurface and atmosphere. Researchers will use the data to study the history and distribution of Martian water. Learning more about what has happened to the water will focus searches for possible past or present Martian life. Observations by the orbiter will also support future Mars missions by examining potential landing sites and providing a communications relay between the Martian surface and Earth.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., the fairing halves are moved together for another attempt at installation around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, are being prepared for fairing installation. On either side are the two fairing sections that will be installed around the spacecraft for launch. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Atlas V/Centaur is moving from the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to Launch Complex-41. At right are two of the four lightning towers that surround the pad for protection against possible lightning strikes. The Atlas was rolled to the launch pad from the Vertical Integration Facility in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal, or countdown test, which means being fully loaded with propellants including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel. The launch vehicle will be rolled off the pad and returned to the VIF on May 16. The Atlas V/Centaur is the launch vehicle for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. They will be mated with the Atlas in late May. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than June 17. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
STS041-S-101 (6 Oct 1990) --- Discovery lifts off from Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a four-day mission in space for its five-man crew. Onboard the spacecraft are Astronauts Richard N. Richards, Robert D. Cabana, William M. Shepherd, Bruce E. Melnick and Thomas D. Akers. Discovery lifted off at 7:47 a.m. EDT on Oct. 6, 1990. A few hours after this photo was made, the crewmembers released the Ulysses spacecraft on its way to a long-awaited mission.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians prepare to lift NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on January 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft is moved into position for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, a technician uses a support line to steady NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft as it is lifted for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians begin lifting NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians begin lifting NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on January 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians begin lifting NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft is lifted for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians prepare to lift NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians move NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft into position for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians move NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft into position for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft is moved into position for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft is lifted for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft has been mated atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, engineers and technicians prepare to lift NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41, NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft is lifted for mounting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-L satellite will be a part of the second of three next-generation spacecraft designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Jan. 23, 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis