VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, secured inside its payload transportation canister, is being transferred to NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers prepare the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit, for its vertical lift into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers attach an overhead crane to the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, secured inside its payload transportation canister, for lifting into the mobile service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane, workers lift the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit, into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit is being prepared for its vertical lift into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers attach one of three solid rocket motors to a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle in the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers prepare one of three United Launch Alliance Delta II solid rocket motors for its lift into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An overhead crane lifts the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, secured inside its payload transportation canister, into the mobile service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers attach one of three solid rocket motors to a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle in the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers remove the payload transportation canister from the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, after it was lifted into the mobile service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers attach one of three solid rocket motors to a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle in the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane, workers lift the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit, into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft is secured inside its payload transportation canister for transfer to NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, secured inside its payload transportation canister, is being transferred to NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane, workers guide the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit, into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane, workers guide the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit, into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite into low Earth orbit arrives to the launch pad at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane workers lift one of three United Launch Alliance Delta II solid rocket motors into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Workers attach one of three solid rocket motors to a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle in the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, secured inside its payload transportation canister, has been delivered to NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An overhead crane lifts the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, secured inside its payload transportation canister, into the mobile service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane, workers lift the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft into low Earth orbit, into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, on its three-year mission, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft is secured inside its payload transportation canister for transfer to NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June liftoff. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the aid of an overhead crane workers lift one of three United Launch Alliance Delta II solid rocket motors into the service tower at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to the Delta II in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, stands ready for launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket following rollback of the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare the second stage of the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, for its lift into the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to install the second stage atop the rocket's first stage. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The Delta II payload fairing will soon enfold NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, in the White Room at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing protects the spacecraft from aerodynamic forces during launch. WISE will survey the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, creating a cosmic clearinghouse of hundreds of millions of objects which will be catalogued and provide a vast storehouse of knowledge about the solar system, the Milky Way, and the universe. Launch is scheduled for Dec. 9. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/wise. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AFB, California – A convoy assembles to take NASA's SMAP spacecraft from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for placement atop a Delta II rocket for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF
VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare to rotate a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in a lifting device in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing will protect the SMAP spacecraft from the heat and aerodynamic pressure generated during its ascent to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data will also be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Solid rocket motor installation progresses on the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, with the attachment of the second motor to the rocket's first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will be launched on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers rotate a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in a lifting device in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing will protect the SMAP spacecraft from the heat and aerodynamic pressure generated during its ascent to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data will also be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for placement atop a Delta II rocket for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF/John Davila
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is rolled back from the first stage of the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, during preparations for the arrival of the rocket's second stage. Operations are underway to install the second stage atop the rocket's first stage. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is scheduled to launch in November 2014 from Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, seen here on a temperate, fog-free summer's day. A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket will be used to deliver SMAP into orbit. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California rolls away from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers lower a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, onto a hardware dolly in the Building 836 high bay on south Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing will protect the SMAP spacecraft from the heat and aerodynamic pressure generated during its ascent to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data will also be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Logos affixed to the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California represent the principal players in the launch campaign underway at the pad. From the top are the logos for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2 and the United Launch Alliance, or ULA. Launch of NASA's OCO-2 satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A memorial plaque honoring Laurie K. Walls is affixed to the umbilical tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Walls, a thermal analysis engineer with the Launch Services Program, or LSP, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, died June 4. This dedication to Walls from the members of the launch team was read during the OCO-2 countdown commentary: "The OCO-2 mission has special meaning to NASA's Launch Services Program as we have dedicated it to one of our LSP Teammates, Laurie Walls. Laurie began her career over 30 years ago as a thermal engineer for McDonnell Douglas in Huntsville, Alabama, supporting NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. She moved to Florida in 1985. Shortly after coming to Florida, Laurie became a civil servant working on the Shuttle program return to flight effort post-Challenger. In 1998, Laurie joined the newly formed Launch Services Program as one of the founding members of the flight analysis group. She served in LSP as the thermal discipline expert until her untimely death earlier this month. Laurie worked thermal issues for numerous NASA Delta II and Atlas V missions. Additionally, she provided key thermal support for both Delta II Heavy development and Atlas V Certification. Laurie was an integral member of LSP's family and she was truly dedicated to NASA and the LSP team. She will be greatly missed. We honor Laurie with a special memorial placed on the SLC-2 umbilical tower, and we thank ULA for helping to make this happen." Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. To learn more about NASA's Launch Services Program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The road leading to Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is named appropriately "Delta." NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, is being prepared for launch in July aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket inside the launch tower in the background. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, preparations are underway to mate the Delta II second stage for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, to the first stage of the rocket, already in place on the launch stand. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in July. The rocket's second stage will insert OCO-2 into a polar Earth orbit. OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, arrives at the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Mark Mackley, 30th Space Wing
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to lift the interstage adapter, or ISA, for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, into the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch into a polar Earth orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C rocket in July. The ISA is the interface between the Delta II first and second stages. The second stage engine fits within the ISA. Once in orbit, OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to connect the Delta II first stage for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, to the interstage adapter, or ISA, newly delivered to the environmental enclosure, or clean room, near the top of the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch into a polar Earth orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C rocket in July. The ISA is the interface between the Delta II first and second stages. The second stage engine fits within the ISA. Once in orbit, OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers monitor the solid rocket motor, or SRM, for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, as it moves into position beside the Delta II first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to attach the Delta II rocket's three SRMs, known as graphite epoxy motors, to the rocket's first stage. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch into a polar Earth orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C rocket in July. Once in orbit, OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, is in position in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ready for encapsulation into the Delta II payload fairing. The fairing will protect OCO-2 during launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/30th Space Wing, U.S. Air Force
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The second stage of the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is transferred into the top of the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to install the second stage atop the rocket's first stage. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The Delta first-stage booster for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, passes through the fence surrounding the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/D. Liberotti, 30th Space Wing, VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The Delta first-stage booster for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, makes its way along the roads at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on its move from the Building 836 hangar to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/D. Liberotti, 30th Space Wing, VAFB
VANDENBERG AFB, California – The transportation canister is removed from around NASA's SMAP spacecraft after positioning the satellite atop a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower has been rolled back from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, one of the final steps leading up to launch. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – As the cover of the transportation trailer is lifted in the high bay of the Building 836 hangar on south Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the canister containing the interstage adapter, or ISA, for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, comes into view. A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket will loft SMAP into orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2. The ISA connects the Delta II first and second stages and encloses the second stage engine and thrust section. The spacecraft will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. The data returned also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The second stage, or upper stage, of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket begins its journey from Building 836 on south Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2. The Delta II rocket will be used to deliver NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, into orbit. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for placement atop a Delta II rocket for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF/John Davila
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Mike Miller, senior vice president, Science and Environmental Satellite Programs, Orbital Sciences Space Systems Group, participates in a post-launch news conference at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California following the successful launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Orbital Sciences built the satellite for NASA. Liftoff of OCO-2 from Space Launch Complex 2 aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket was on schedule at 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, is ready for launch over the flame trench on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California following rollback of the mobile service tower. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to roll the mobile service tower away from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers align the second stage of the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, on the rocket's first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to install the second stage atop the rocket's first stage. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California begins to roll back from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, aboard. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower has been rolled back from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, one of the final steps leading up to launch. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, stands ready for launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket following rollback of the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The first solid rocket motor, or SRM, for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, has been attached to the Delta II first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to attach the rocket's three SRMs, known as graphite epoxy motors, to its first stage. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch into a polar Earth orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C rocket in July. Once in orbit, OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, is illuminated on Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California following rollback of the mobile service tower. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California begins to roll back from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, aboard. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers inside the mobile service tower use headsets to ensure communication with each other and their fellow workers outside the tower during operations to install the solid rocket motors on the first stage of the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will be launched on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Operations are underway at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to enclose the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in the launch gantry. Aboard the rocket is NOAA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. Launch was postponed today due to violation of upper-level wind shear constraints. Launch now is targeted for Jan. 31. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers begin lifting NASA's SMAP spacecraft to the top of a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The canister containing the interstage adapter, or ISA, for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, glides toward a flight hardware cradle in the high bay of the Building 836 hangar on south Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket will loft SMAP into orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2. The ISA connects the Delta II first and second stages and encloses the second stage engine and thrust section. The spacecraft will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. The data returned also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Technicians monitor a half-section of the Delta II payload fairing as it is moved toward NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing will protect OCO-2 during launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/30th Space Wing, U.S. Air Force
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers rotate a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in a lifting device in the Building 836 high bay on south Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing will protect the SMAP spacecraft from the heat and aerodynamic pressure generated during its ascent to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data will also be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower rolls toward the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Aboard the rocket is NOAA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. Launch was postponed today due to violation of upper-level wind shear constraints. Launch now is targeted for Jan. 31. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The Delta first-stage booster for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, rolls out of the Building 836 hangar for its trip along the roads on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/D. Liberotti, 30th Space Wing, VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden talks with representatives of the news media at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during activities leading up to the launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Final preparations for launch of OCO-2 at 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1 aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket are underway on the pad. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The Delta II payload fairing is installed around NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, in the White Room at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing protects the spacecraft from aerodynamic forces during launch. WISE will survey the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, creating a cosmic clearinghouse of hundreds of millions of objects which will be catalogued and provide a vast storehouse of knowledge about the solar system, the Milky Way, and the universe. Launch is scheduled for Dec. 9. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/wise. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, is illuminated on Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California following rollback of the mobile service tower. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An exhaust cloud builds around the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket as it lifts off Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, on a mission to study global coverage of soil moisture and freeze/thaw measurements. Launch was at 9:22 a.m. EST. SMAP is designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to lift the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, into the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Mark Mackley, 30th Space Wing
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The second stage, or upper stage, of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket arrives at the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Delta II rocket will be used to deliver NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, into orbit. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The Delta first-stage booster for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, passes a static display of a U.S. Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, at left, on its move from the Building 836 hangar to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/D. Liberotti, 30th Space Wing, VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A second solid rocket motor for the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, glides into position beside the rocket's first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will be launched on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers monitor the Delta II second stage for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, as it is lowered into position for mating with the rocket's first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in July. The rocket's second stage will insert OCO-2 into a polar Earth orbit. OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A second solid rocket motor for the Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, arrives at the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will be launched on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft has had the appropriate logos affixed to its transportation canister before its move to the launch pad. SMAP will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch from Space Launch Complex 2 is targeted for Jan. 29. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force Photo Squadron
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket launches with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, satellite onboard from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. OCO-2 will measure the global distribution of carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare to remove the cover of the transportation trailer protecting the second stage for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, in the high bay of the Building 836 hangar on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 in July. The rocket's second stage will insert OCO-2 into a polar Earth orbit. OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Arron Tauman, 30th Space Wing, VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Representatives of news and social media outlets are given the opportunity to ask questions of NASA and aerospace contractor management during a post-launch news conference at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California following the successful launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Liftoff of OCO-2 from Space Launch Complex 2 aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket was on schedule at 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California rolls away from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Technicians clean some of the hardware for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, in the Astrotech Payload Processing Facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft soon will be transported to Space Launch Complex 2 for encapsulation in the Delta II payload fairing. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/30th Space Wing, U.S. Air Force
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Final preparations are underway for the launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, following rollback of the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A worker prepares to attach a solid rocket motor, or SRM, for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, to the Delta II first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to attach the rocket's three SRMs, known as graphite epoxy motors, to its first stage. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch into a polar Earth orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C rocket in July. Once in orbit, OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers monitor the third solid rocket motor, or SRM, for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, as it moves into position beside the Delta II first stage in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are underway to attach the rocket's three SRMs, known as graphite epoxy motors, to its first stage. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch into a polar Earth orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C rocket in July. Once in orbit, OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the mobile service tower rolls away from the launch stand supporting the Delta II first stage. Operations are underway to mate the rocket's first and second stages. OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in July. The rocket's second stage will insert OCO-2 into a polar Earth orbit. OCO-2 will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The second stage, or upper stage, of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket winds its way along the roads from Building 836 to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Delta II rocket will be used to deliver NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, into orbit. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to weigh NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft in the clean room of the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The weighing of a spacecraft is standard procedure during prelaunch processing. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that built the observatory and its radar instrument also is responsible for SMAP project management and mission operations. Launch from Space Launch Complex 2 is targeted for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to lift the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, into the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for July 1, 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Mark Mackley, 30th Space Wing
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is illuminated following the rollback of the mobile service tower, preparing the way for launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. Launch is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to roll the mobile service tower away from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Final preparations are underway for liftoff of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, following rollback of the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 2 following the repair of the pad's water suppression system, which failed on the first launch attempt July 1. OCO-2 is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. To learn more about OCO-2, visit http://www.nasa.gov/oco2. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians enclose a transportation canister containing NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft in an environmentally protective wrap for its move to the launch pad. SMAP will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320 configuration vehicle featuring a United Launch Alliance first stage booster powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and three Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, strap-on solid rocket motors. Once on station in Earth orbit, SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch from Space Launch Complex 2 is targeted for Jan. 29. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force Photo Squadron