The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved by crane into the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be stacked atop the booster, which was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is hoisted up by crane at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be moved inside the vertical integration facility for stacking atop the booster. The booster was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test arrives at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be hoisted up and moved inside the vertical integration facility for stacking atop the booster. The booster was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is hoisted up by crane at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be moved inside the vertical integration facility for stacking atop the booster. The booster was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved by crane into the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be stacked atop the booster, which was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is hoisted up by crane at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be moved inside the vertical integration facility for stacking atop the booster. The booster was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test arrives at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be hoisted up and moved inside the vertical integration facility for stacking atop the booster. The booster was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test arrives at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 23, 2019. The flight test article will be hoisted up and moved inside the vertical integration facility for stacking atop the booster. The booster was procured by the U.S. Air Force and manufactured by Northrop Grumman. During AA-2, targeted for July 2, the LAS with Orion will launch on the booster more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. AA-2 is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exits the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

After exiting the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, the test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved on a transport along the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exited the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exits the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exited the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

After exiting the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, the test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved on a transport along the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is ready to exit the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exits the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exits the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The vehicle for Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exits the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule away to demonstrate it can keep a future crew inside safe if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved on a transport at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, along the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. In the background is the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved on a transport at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, along the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. In the background is the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The vehicle for Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test exits the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019. The flight test article will make the 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule away to demonstrate it can keep a future crew inside safe if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The vehicle for Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved along a route from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 22, 2019, in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule away to demonstrate it can keep a future crew inside safe if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The vehicle for Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) fight test passes by the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its 21.5-mile-trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 22, 2019. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule away to demonstrate it can keep a future crew inside safe if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test passes by the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, during its 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. In the background is the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test passes by the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, during its 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. In the background is the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

The test version of Orion attached to the Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test passes by the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2019, during its 21.5 mile trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in preparation for its launch this summer. In the background is the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A solid rocket booster (SRB) for the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is lifted off its transporter on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SRB will be added to the launch vehicle in the background. The Delta II Heavy features nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs. SIRTF, consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, help steady a solid rocket booster (SRB) being lifted into the mobile service tower. It is one of nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs that are being attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A solid rocket booster (SRB) for the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) arrives at Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Delta II Heavy features nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs. Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A solid rocket booster (SRB) is lifted to vertical on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SRB will be attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The Delta II Heavy features nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs. Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a solid rocket booster (SRB) is lifted into the mobile service tower, joining two others. They are three of nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs that are being attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, another solid rocket booster (SRB) is being raised from its transporter to lift it to vertical. It is one of nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs that are being attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II Heavy rocket waits the arrival of the mobile service tower with three additional solid rocket boosters (SRBs). Nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs will help launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

A test version of NASA’s Orion crew module is ready for rollback at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During a Launch Readiness Review on June 28, the team preparing to launch Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 flight test gave a “go” to proceed to launch on Tuesday, July 2.

1st Lt. Daniel Smith, launch weather officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Cathy Richardson, Deputy Program Manager, Earth Science Projects Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Tom Neumann, ICESat-2 deputy project scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Tom Neumann, ICESat-2 deputy project scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Doug McLennan, ICESat-2 project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

S66-59975 (11 Nov. 1966) --- Gemini-12 spacecraft, carrying astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., command pilot, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., pilot, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 19 at 3:46 p.m. (EST), Nov. 11, 1966. Photo credit: NASA

S66-59970 (11 Nov. 1966) --- Gemini-12 spacecraft, carrying astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., command pilot, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., pilot, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 19 at 3:46 p.m. (EST), Nov. 11, 1966. Photo credit: NASA

Scott Messer, program manager, NASA Programs, United Launch Alliance, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - This view from the mobile service tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, shows two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) already suspended in the tower while another is being lifted. They are three of nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs that are being attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - This view from the mobile service tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, shows two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) already suspended in the tower while another is being lifted. They are three of nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs that are being attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Another solid rocket booster (SRB) is lifted to vertical on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, to join the one already in place in the mobile service tower. The SRBs will be attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket in the background that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The Delta II Heavy features nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs. SIRTF, consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Another solid rocket booster (SRB) is lifted to vertical on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, to join the one already in place in the mobile service tower. The SRBs will be attached to the Delta II Heavy rocket that will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The Delta II Heavy features nine 46-inch-diameter, stretched SRBs. SIRTF, consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

Helen Fricker, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, ICESat-2 science definition team member, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Lori Magruder, University of Texas at Austin, ICESat-2 science definition team lead, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Michelle Thaller, NASA Communications (left), and Tom Wagner, ICESat-2 program scientist, NASA Headquarters (right) speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

Bill Barnhart, ICESat-2 program manager, Northrop Grumman, speaks to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft launched successfully on its way to the Moon from Launch Complex 46 (LC46) at Cape Canaveral Air Station on Jan. 6 at 9:38 p.m. EST. It was the inaugural launch of Lockheed Martin's Athena II launch vehicle and the first launch from LC46, operated by Spaceport Florida Authority. Lunar Prospector, built for the NASA Ames Research Center by Lockheed Martin, is a spin-stabilized spacecraft designed to provide NASA with the first global maps of the Moon's surface and its gravitational magnetic fields, as well as look for the possible presence of ice near the lunar poles. It will orbit the Moon at an altitude of approximately 63 miles during a one-year mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II rocket waits to be mated to four solid rocket boosters (behind the Delta). The rocket will launch the MAP instrument into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The MAP mission will examine conditions in the early universe by measuring temperature differences in cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the radiant heat left over from the Big Bang. The properties of this radiation directly reflect conditions in the early universe. MAP is scheduled to launch June 30 at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Four solid rocket boosters are lifted up the gantry at Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SRBs will be mated to the Delta II rocket that will launch the MAP instrument into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The MAP mission will examine conditions in the early universe by measuring temperature differences in cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the radiant heat left over from the Big Bang. The properties of this radiation directly reflect conditions in the early universe. MAP is scheduled to launch June 30 at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A solid rocket booster is lifted up the gantry at Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SRB will be mated to the Delta II rocket that will launch the MAP instrument into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The MAP mission will examine conditions in the early universe by measuring temperature differences in cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the radiant heat left over from the Big Bang. The properties of this radiation directly reflect conditions in the early universe. MAP is scheduled to launch June 30 at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A second solid rocket booster is lifted up the gantry at Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SRBs will be mated to the Delta II rocket that will launch the MAP instrument into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The MAP mission will examine conditions in the early universe by measuring temperature differences in cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the radiant heat left over from the Big Bang. The properties of this radiation directly reflect conditions in the early universe. MAP is scheduled to launch June 30 at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT

Rebecca Regan of Boeing Communications speaks to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Peter Pilewskie, lead scientist at the University of Colorado-Boulder, speaks to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Secured on a flatbed transporter in its shipping container, the ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) arrives at the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the RPSF the motor will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

Secured on a flatbed transporter in its shipping container, the ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) is moved to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the RPSF the motor will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

The ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) arrives by flatbed truck in its shipping container in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be transferred to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility where it will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

Secured on a flatbed transporter in its shipping container, the ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) will be moved from the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the RPSF the motor will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

The ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) is secured on a work stand inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility on July 31, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

Secured on a flatbed transporter in its shipping container, the ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) arrives at the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the RPSF the motor will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

In the transfer aisle inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the shipping container with the ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) inside onto another transporter on July 20, 2018. The container will be moved to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility where it will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

The ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) is secured on a work stand inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility on July 31, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

The ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) arrives by flatbed truck in its shipping container in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be transferred to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility where it will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

The ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) is secured on a work stand inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility on July 31, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

The ground test motor for Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS) arrives by flatbed truck in its shipping container in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 20, 2018, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be transferred to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility where it will be inspected and prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mechanical fit testing. This inert motor will not be used for flight, but will be used to certify flight hardware assembly in preparation for a full-stress test of the LAS, called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from SLC 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and their contractors from Jacob's and Northrup Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch SMC/LEXO, are performing the pathfinding exercises and flight operations for AA-2.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The launch of the Boeing Delta II rocket carrying the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) spacecraft is tracked inside Hangar AandE, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The successful launch from Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, occurred at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT. The launch will place MAP into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The probe will measure small fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation to an accuracy of one millionth of a degree. These measurements should reveal the size, matter content, age, geometry and fate of the universe. They will also reveal the primordial structure that grew to form galaxies and will test ideas about the origins of these primordial structures. The MAP instrument will be continuously shaded from the Sun, Earth, and Moon by the spacecraft. The probe is a product of Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with Princeton University

Construction is progressing on Blue Origin's 750,000-square-foot facility being built at Exploration Park on NASA Kennedy Space Center property in Florida. Blue Origin will use the factory to manufacture its two-stage super-heavy-lift New Glenn launch vehicle and launch the vehicles from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, Cheryl Warner of NASA Communications speaks to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the SpaceX CRS-13 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. A Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to be launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift off on the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the media participate with NASA and industry leaders in a prelaunch news conference for the SpaceX CRS-13 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. A Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to be launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift off on the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Delta II rocket, carrying the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) spacecraft, arcs through the cloud-washed blue sky while photographers try to capture the spectacle from the ground. The successful launch from Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, occurred at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT. The launch will place MAP into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The probe will measure small fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation to an accuracy of one millionth of a degree. These measurements should reveal the size, matter content, age, geometry and fate of the universe. They will also reveal the primordial structure that grew to form galaxies and will test ideas about the origins of these primordial structures. The MAP instrument will be continuously shaded from the Sun, Earth, and Moon by the spacecraft. The probe is a product of Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with Princeton University

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Wrapped in billows of smoke and steam, the Boeing Delta II rocket lifts off Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) spacecraft. The successful launch occurred at 3:46:46 p.m. EDT. The launch will place MAP into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The probe will measure small fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation to an accuracy of one millionth of a degree. These measurements should reveal the size, matter content, age, geometry and fate of the universe. They will also reveal the primordial structure that grew to form galaxies and will test ideas about the origins of these primordial structures. The MAP instrument will be continuously shaded from the Sun, Earth, and Moon by the spacecraft. The probe is a product of Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with Princeton University

Social media participant sketches NASA and industry leaders speaking to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) on Sept. 13, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

A photon demonstration was conducted in front of news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), a mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice, on Sept. 13, 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) on Sept. 13, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

United States Senator Bob Graham of Florida announces important new federal legislation designed to support the nation's continued space industry development. The announcement was made at Launch Complex 46 at the Cape Canaveral Air Station, the dual-use Navy facility recently modified for commercial launches by the State of Florida. In the background, from left to right, are Hugh Brown, Chairman, Spaceport Florida Authority; Charles Johnson, Athena Program Manager, Lockheed Martin Astronautics; and Col. Ron Larivee, Vice Commander, 45th Space Wing

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

The gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 14, 2018, for the final United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket which will carry NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2018, at 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

Cheryl Warner of NASA Communications, left, listens as Joseph Hamilton of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, speaks about the Space Debris Sensor with members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Kirt Costello, deputy chief scientist for the International Space Station Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, speaks to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Joseph Hamilton of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, speaks about the Space Debris Sensor with members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Andrew Rush, president and chief executive officer of Made in Space, discusses his company's Fiber Optics payload, with members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Andrew Rush, president and chief executive officer of Made in Space, discusses his company's Fiber Optics payload, with members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Chris Wolverton, Ph.D., professor of botany/microbiology at Ohio Wesleyan University, speaks on the Plant Gravity Perception experiment with members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:46 a.m. EST, on Dec. 12, 2017. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.