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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians in a blue crane  at the top of the white upper equipment module (UEM) level the UEM prior to separation  from its dolly. The module will be prepared for stacking atop Cassini’s propulsion  module in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC. Cassini, a four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air  Station in October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn.  Scientific instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s atmosphere,  magnetic field, rings, and several moons. JPL is managing the Cassini project for NASA KSC-97PC1017

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians in a blue crane at the to...

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians in a blue crane at the top of the white upper equipment module (UEM) level the UEM prior to separation from its dolly. The module will be prepared for stacking atop... More

Technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)  lower the upper equipment module over a propellant tank in the Payload Hazardous  Servicing Facility at KSC in July prior to installation on the Cassini orbiter. A four-year,  close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission is scheduled for launch from  Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. The propellant tank will assist with  guidance of the orbiter and power during the spacecraft’s voyage and in-orbit periods. It  will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried  aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several  moons. JPL is managing the Cassini project for NASA KSC-97PC1016

Technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) lower the upper ...

Technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) lower the upper equipment module over a propellant tank in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July prior to installation on the Cassini orb... More

Technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the  California Institute of Technology lift the remote sensing pallet in the Payload Hazardous  Servicing Facility at KSC in July prior to installation on the Cassini spacecraft. A four- year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission is scheduled for launch  from Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. It will take seven years for the  spacecraft to reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study  Saturn’s atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several moons. JPL is managing the  Cassini project for NASA KSC-97PC1026

Technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the Californi...

Technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology lift the remote sensing pallet in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July prior to installation o... More

The complete remote sensing pallet is lowered by  technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of  Technology and mated at the interface with the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload  Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. A four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian  system, the Cassini mission is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station in  October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Scientific  instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s atmosphere, magnetic field,  rings, and several moons. JPL is managing the Cassini project for NASA KSC-97PC1028

The complete remote sensing pallet is lowered by technicians from the...

The complete remote sensing pallet is lowered by technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology and mated at the interface with the Cassini spacecraft in the Pa... More

The complete remote sensing pallet is lowered by  technicians from  the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology to  mate with the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in  July. A four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission is  scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. It will take seven  years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried aboard the  spacecraft will study Saturn’s atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several moons. JPL  is managing the Cassini project for NASA KSC-97PC1027

The complete remote sensing pallet is lowered by technicians from th...

The complete remote sensing pallet is lowered by technicians from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology to mate with the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Se... More

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians reposition and  level the Cassini orbiter in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July after  stacking the craft’s upper equipment module on the propulsion module. A four-year,  close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission is scheduled for launch from  Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to  reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s  atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several moons. JPL is managing the Cassini  project for NASA KSC-97PC1020

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians reposition and level the ...

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians reposition and level the Cassini orbiter in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July after stacking the craft’s upper equipment module on the propuls... More

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians reposition and  level the Cassini orbiter in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July after  stacking the craft’s upper equipment module on the propulsion module. A four-year,  close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission is scheduled for launch from  Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to  reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s  atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several moons. JPL is managing the Cassini  project for NASA KSC-97PC1019

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians reposition and level the ...

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) technicians reposition and level the Cassini orbiter in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July after stacking the craft’s upper equipment module on the propuls... More

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff prepare to remove the lift  fixture used to install the back cover on the Huygens probe, the conical structure in the  white workstand, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC. Instruments  mounted on the probe, which was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), will  receive atmospheric and surface data on Saturn’s main moon, Titan, to send back to Earth  as part of the Cassini mission. The back cover, yet to be attached to the Cassini orbiter,  will protect the probe during descent onto Titan. A four-year, close-up study of the  Saturnian system, Cassini is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station in  October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Aerospatiale is  the prime contractor for ESA KSC-97PC1021

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff prepare to remove the lift fixture used ...

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff prepare to remove the lift fixture used to install the back cover on the Huygens probe, the conical structure in the white workstand, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility a... More

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff install the back cover on the  Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments  mounted on the probe, which was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), will  receive atmospheric and surface data on Saturn’s main moon, Titan, to send back to Earth  as part of the Cassini mission. The back cover, yet to be attached to the Cassini orbiter,  will protect the probe during descent onto Titan. A four-year, close-up study of the  Saturnian system, the mission is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station in  October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Aerospatiale is  the prime contractor for ESA KSC-97PC1023

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff install the back cover on the Huygens pr...

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff install the back cover on the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments mounted on the probe, which was developed by the European Space... More

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff install the back cover on the  Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments  mounted on the probe, which was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), will  receive atmospheric and surface data on Saturn’s main moon, Titan, to send back to Earth  as part of the Cassini mission. The back cover, yet to be attached to the Cassini orbiter,  will protect the probe during descent onto Titan. A four-year, close-up study of the  Saturnian system, the mission is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station in  October 1997. It will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Aerospatiale is  the prime contractor for ESA KSC-97PC1022

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff install the back cover on the Huygens pr...

Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff install the back cover on the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments mounted on the probe, which was developed by the European Space... More

A Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff member inspects the heat  shield of the Huygens probe after the shield was installed in the Payload Hazardous  Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments mounted on the probe, which is owned by  the European Space Agency, will receive atmospheric and surface data on Saturn’s main  moon, Titan, to send back to Earth as part of the Cassini mission. The back cover, yet to  be attached to the Cassini orbiter, will protect the probe during descent onto Titan. A  four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the mission is scheduled for launch  from Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. It will take seven years for the  spacecraft to reach Saturn. Aerospatiale is the prime contractor for ESA KSC-97PC1025

A Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff member inspects the heat shield of the...

A Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff member inspects the heat shield of the Huygens probe after the shield was installed in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments mounted on the probe,... More

A Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff member installs thermal  blanket insulation on the back cover of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous  Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments mounted on the probe, which is owned by  the European Space Agency (ESA), will receive atmospheric and surface data on Saturn’s  main moon, Titan, to send back to Earth as part of the Cassini mission. The back cover,  yet to be attached to the Cassini orbiter, will protect the probe during descent onto Titan.   A four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the mission is scheduled for launch  from Cape Canaveral Air Station in October 1997. It will take seven years for the  spacecraft to reach Saturn. Aerospatiale is the prime contractor for ESA KSC-97PC1024

A Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff member installs thermal blanket insula...

A Daimler-Benz Aerospace staff member installs thermal blanket insulation on the back cover of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC in July. Instruments mounted on the probe, w... More

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed  Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air  Station, Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2  in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s Moon to collect data from  the lunar surface. Designed for a low polar orbit investigation of the Moon, the Lunar  Prospector will map the Moon’s surface composition and possible polar ice deposits,  measure magnetic and gravity fields, and study lunar outgassing events KSC-97pc1040

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (...

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2 ... More

Workers hoist the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) for placement at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2 from CCAS in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s Moon to collect data from the lunar surface. Information gathered during the mission will allow construction of a detailed map of the surface composition of the Moon and will improve our understanding of its origin, evolution, current state, and resources KSC-97pc1043

Workers hoist the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (L...

Workers hoist the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) for placement at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch ... More

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2 in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s Moon to collect data from the lunar surface. Scientific experiments to be conducted by the Prospector include locating water ice that may exist near the lunar poles, gathering data to understand the evolution of the lunar highland crust and the lunar magnetic field, finding radon outgassing events, and describing the lunar gravity field by means of Doppler tracking KSC-97pc1041

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (L...

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2 in ... More

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed  Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air  Station, Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2  in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s Moon to collect data from  the lunar surface. Designed for a low polar orbit investigation of the Moon, the Lunar  Prospector will map the Moon’s surface composition and possible polar ice deposits,  measure magnetic and gravity fields, and study lunar outgassing events KSC-97pc1039

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (...

Workers erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard the LMLV-2 ... More

Workers hoist the first stage of a Lockheed  Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) for placement at Launch Complex 46 at Cape  Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to  launch aboard the LMLV-2 from CCAS in October for an 18-month mission that will  orbit the Earth’s Moon to collect data from the lunar surface. Information gathered during  the mission will allow construction of a detailed map of the surface composition of the  Moon and will improve our understanding of its origin, evolution, current state, and  resources KSC-97pc1042

Workers hoist the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (...

Workers hoist the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) for placement at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), Fla. The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is scheduled to laun... More

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch  Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) is hoisted into position at Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air  Station for mating to the rocket’s first stage, which is out of camera view. The LMLV-2  will carry the Lunar Prospector spacecraft, scheduled to launch in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s moon to collect data from the lunar surface.  Designed for a low polar orbit investigation of the moon, the Lunar Prospector will map  the moon’s surface composition and possible polar ice deposits, measure magnetic and  gravity fields, and study lunar outgassing events KSC-97PC1101

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) is ...

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) is hoisted into position at Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station for mating to the rocket’s first stage, which is out of camera view. T... More

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch  Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) arrives aboard a truck at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air  Station before it is mated to the first stage, seen in the center of the pad structure in the  background. The LMLV-2 will carry the Lunar Prospector spacecraft, scheduled to launch  in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s moon to collect data from  the lunar surface. Scientific experiments to be conducted by the Prospector include  locating water ice that may exist near the lunar poles, gathering data to understand the  evolution of the lunar highland crust and the lunar magnetic field, finding radon  outgassing events, and describing the lunar gravity field by means of Doppler tracking KSC-97PC1100

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) arr...

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) arrives aboard a truck at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station before it is mated to the first stage, seen in the center of the pad... More

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch  Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) is mated to its first stage at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral  Air Station. The LMLV-2 will carry the Lunar Prospector spacecraft, scheduled to launch  in October for an 18-month mission that will orbit the Earth’s moon to collect data from  the lunar surface. Information gathered during the mission will allow construction of a  detailed map of the surface composition of the moon and will improve our understanding  of its origin, evolution, current state, and resources KSC-97PC1102

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) is ...

The second stage of the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle-2 (LMLV-2) is mated to its first stage at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Station. The LMLV-2 will carry the Lunar Prospector spacecraft, schedul... More

Applied Physics Laboratory Engineer Cliff  Willey (kneeling) and Engineering Assistant Jim Hutcheson from Johns Hopkins  University install solar array panels on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in  KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II. Scheduled for launch on a  Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy  particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles for a better understanding of  the formation and evolution of the solar system as well as the astrophysical processes  involved. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5  million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the  Sun. The collecting power of instrumentation aboard ACE is at least 100 times more  sensitive than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1079

Applied Physics Laboratory Engineer Cliff Willey (kneeling) and Engin...

Applied Physics Laboratory Engineer Cliff Willey (kneeling) and Engineering Assistant Jim Hutcheson from Johns Hopkins University install solar array panels on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’... More

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and  technicians from Johns Hopkins University install solar array panels on the Advanced  Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II. The panel on which they are working is identical to the panel (one of four) seen in the  foreground on the ACE spacecraft. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape  Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin  and high-energy galactic particles for a better understanding of the formation and  evolution of the solar system as well as the astrophysical processes involved. The ACE  observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers)  away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun. The collecting  power of instrumentation aboard ACE is at least 100 times more sensitive than anything  previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1080

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopki...

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopkins University install solar array panels on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility... More

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and  technicians from Johns Hopkins University assist in guiding the Advanced Composition  Explorer (ACE) as it is hoisted over a platform for solar array installation in KSC’s  Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II  rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles  of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will contribute to  the understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system as well as the  astrophysical processes involved. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10  to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1077

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopki...

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopkins University assist in guiding the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) as it is hoisted over a platform for solar array installation in KS... More

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and  technicians from Johns Hopkins University assist in leveling and orienting the Advanced  Composition Explorer (ACE) as it is seated on a platform for solar array installation in  KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II. Scheduled for launch on a  Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy  particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory has six  high-resolution particle detection sensors and three monitoring instruments. The  collecting power of instrumentation aboard ACE is at least 100 times more sensitive than  anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1078

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopki...

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopkins University assist in leveling and orienting the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) as it is seated on a platform for solar array instal... More

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and  technicians from Johns Hopkins University test solar array deployment of the Advanced  Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). The wire hanging from the ceiling above the black solar array panel is used  for "g-negation," which takes the weight off of the panel’s hinges to simulate zero  gravity, mimicking deployment in space. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from  Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar  origin and high-energy galactic particles for a better understanding of the formation and  evolution of the solar system as well as the astrophysical processes involved. The  collecting power of instrumentation aboard ACE is at least 100 times more sensitive than  anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1129

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopki...

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopkins University test solar array deployment of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facilit... More

An Applied Physics Laboratory engineer from  Johns Hopkins University tests for true perpendicular solar array deployment of the  Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and  Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). The white magnetometer boom seen across the solar  array panel will deploy the panel once in space. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket  from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of  solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into  an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100  the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1128

An Applied Physics Laboratory engineer from Johns Hopkins University ...

An Applied Physics Laboratory engineer from Johns Hopkins University tests for true perpendicular solar array deployment of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulat... More

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and  technicians from Johns Hopkins University test for true perpendicular solar array  deployment of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft  Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). The white magnetometer boom seen  across the solar array panel will deploy the panel once in space. Scheduled for launch on a  Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy  particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be  placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth,  about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1127

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopki...

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopkins University test for true perpendicular solar array deployment of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly a... More

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and  technicians from Johns Hopkins University test solar array deployment of the Advanced  Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). The wire hanging from the ceiling above the black solar array panel is used  for "g-negation," which takes the weight off of the panel’s hinges to simulate zero  gravity, mimicking deployment in space. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from  Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar  origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard  ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by  NASA KSC-97PC1126

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopki...

Applied Physics Laboratory engineers and technicians from Johns Hopkins University test solar array deployment of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facilit... More

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1143

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch...

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on ... More

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1144

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch...

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on ... More

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1142

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch...

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on ... More

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1141

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch...

The first stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on ... More

The solid rocket motors of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft are erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1170

The solid rocket motors of the Delta II rocket which will to be used t...

The solid rocket motors of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft are erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for l... More

The second stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The ACE observatory will be placed into an orbit almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from the Earth, about 1/100 the distance from the Earth to the Sun KSC-97PC1175

The second stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launc...

The second stage of the Delta II rocket which will to be used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is erected at Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Scheduled for launch on... More

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft undergoes a spin test in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1228

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft undergoes a spin te...

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft undergoes a spin test in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air S... More

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft undergoes a spin test in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1227

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft undergoes a spin te...

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft undergoes a spin test in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air S... More

Extension of the solar panels is tested on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 25, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1230

Extension of the solar panels is tested on the Advanced Composition Ex...

Extension of the solar panels is tested on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II). Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from... More

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final prelaunch processing in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) before being transported to Pad A at Launch Complex 17, Cape Canaveral Air Station, for mating to the Delta II launch vehicle. This photo was taken during a news media opportunity. The worker at right is installing protective covering over one of the spacecraft’s solar arrays. ACE with its combination of nine sensors and instruments will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. Launch is targeted for Aug. 24 KSC-97PC1236

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final prelaunch proc...

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final prelaunch processing in KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) before being transported to Pad A at Launch Complex 17, Cape Canav... More

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its launch vehicle at Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1238

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its ...

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its launch vehicle at Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study l... More

In KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is encapsulated and placed into the transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1234

In KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II), ...

In KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is encapsulated and placed into the transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 17A.... More

In KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is encapsulated and placed into the transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1232

In KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II), ...

In KSC’s Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-II (SAEF-II), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is encapsulated and placed into the transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 17A.... More

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its launch vehicle at Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA KSC-97PC1240

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its ...

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft is placed atop its launch vehicle at Launch Complex 17A. Scheduled for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station on Aug. 24, ACE will study l... More

Final prelaunch preparations are made at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, for liftoff of the Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle with the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft, at top. The black rectangular-shaped panel in front is one of ACE’s solar arrays. ACE will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. This will be the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff is scheduled Aug. 24 KSC-97DC1286

Final prelaunch preparations are made at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Cana...

Final prelaunch preparations are made at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, for liftoff of the Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle with the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft, at ... More

Workers make final checks as the second part of the bi-sector payload fairing for the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) is closed around the spacecraft at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. ACE will be launched on a Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle. The spacecraft will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. This will be the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff is scheduled Aug. 24 KSC-97DC1283

Workers make final checks as the second part of the bi-sector payload ...

Workers make final checks as the second part of the bi-sector payload fairing for the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) is closed around the spacecraft at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. ACE w... More

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), the Cassini spacecraft is prepared for its lift onto a transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will study the planet, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1335

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), the Cassini spacec...

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), the Cassini spacecraft is prepared for its lift onto a transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is an i... More

After launch tower retraction, the Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final preparations for liftoff in the predawn hours of Aug. 24, 1997, at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. ACE with its combination of nine sensors and instruments will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1287

After launch tower retraction, the Boeing Delta II expendable launch v...

After launch tower retraction, the Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final preparations for liftoff in the predawn hours of Aug. 24, 1997, at L... More

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) place a protective covering over the Cassini spacecraft in preparation for its move to Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will study the planet, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1334

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) place a pro...

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) place a protective covering over the Cassini spacecraft in preparation for its move to Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is... More

The Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final preparations for liftoff in the predawn hours of Aug. 25, 1997, at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. The first launch attempt on Aug. 24 was scrubbed by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Delta’s launch danger area. ACE with its combination of nine sensors and instruments will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1289

The Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Co...

The Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final preparations for liftoff in the predawn hours of Aug. 25, 1997, at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaver... More

Photographers and other onlookers watch as a Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff had been scheduled for Aug. 24, but was scrubbed one day by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Delta’s launch danger area. The ACE spacecraft will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles on its one-million-mile journey. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA. Study of these energetic particles may contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system. ACE has a two-year minimum mission lifetime and a goal of five years of service. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif KSC-97PC1291

Photographers and other onlookers watch as a Boeing Delta II expendabl...

Photographers and other onlookers watch as a Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Comp... More

The Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final preparations for liftoff in the predawn hours of Aug. 25, 1997, at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. The first launch attempt on Aug. 24 was scrubbed by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Delta’s launch danger area. ACE with its combination of nine sensors and instruments will investigate the origin and evolution of solar phenomenon, the formation of solar corona, solar flares and acceleration of the solar wind. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1288

The Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Co...

The Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) undergoes final preparations for liftoff in the predawn hours of Aug. 25, 1997, at Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaver... More

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Launch was scrubbed one day by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Delta’s launch danger area. The ACE spacecraft will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles on its one-million-mile journey. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA. Study of these energetic particles may contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system. ACE has a two-year minimum mission lifetime and a goal of five years of service. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif KSC-97PC1293

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Adva...

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This i... More

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Launch was scrubbed one day by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Delta’s launch danger area. The ACE spacecraft will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles on its one-million-mile journey. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA. Study of these energetic particles may contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system. ACE has a two-year minimum mission lifetime and a goal of five years of service. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif KSC-97PC1290

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Adva...

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This i... More

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Launch was scrubbed one day by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Delta’s launch danger area. The ACE spacecraft will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles on its one-million-mile journey. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA. Study of these energetic particles may contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system. ACE has a two-year minimum mission lifetime and a goal of five years of service. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is managed by the Explorer Project Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The lead scientific institution is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif KSC-97PC1292

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Adva...

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This i... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A scuba diver stands by as the unmanned Max Rover submersible goes down to insert a Diver Operated Plug (DOP) into an aft nozzle like the ones used on the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRBs). NASA and contractor Deep Sea Systems demonstrated the submersible at Port Canaveral's Trident pier. Kennedy Space Center's SRB retrieval team and Advanced Systems Development laboratory staff hope that the new robotic technology will make the process of inserting the plug into spent SRBs safer and less strenuous. Currently, scuba divers manually insert the DOP into the aft nozzle of a jettisoned SRB 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. After the plug is installed, water is pumped out of the booster allowing it to float horizontally. It is then towed back to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Station for refurbishment. Deep Sea Systems of Falmouth, Mass., built the submersible for NASA KSC-97PC1299

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A scuba diver stands by as the unmanned ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A scuba diver stands by as the unmanned Max Rover submersible goes down to insert a Diver Operated Plug (DOP) into an aft nozzle like the ones used on the Space Shuttle's solid roc... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Thomas Lippitt of NASA's Advanced Systems Development (ASD) laboratory observes robotic operations as Chris Nicholson, owner of Deep Sea Systems, and Bill Jones of NASA's ASD laboratory operate the unmanned robotic submersible recovery system, known as Max Rover, during a test of the system at the Trident Pier at Port Canaveral. The submersible is seen in the water with the Diver Operated Plug (DOP). Kennedy Space Center's solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval team and ASD laboratory staff hope that the new robotic technology will make the process of inserting the plug safer and less strenuous. Currently, scuba divers manually insert the DOP into the aft nozzle of a jettisoned SRB 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. After the plug is installed, water is pumped out of the booster allowing it to float horizontally. It is then towed back to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Station for refurbishment. Deep Sea Systems of Falmouth, Mass., built the submersible for NASA KSC-97PC1300

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Thomas Lippitt of NASA's Advanced System...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Thomas Lippitt of NASA's Advanced Systems Development (ASD) laboratory observes robotic operations as Chris Nicholson, owner of Deep Sea Systems, and Bill Jones of NASA's ASD labor... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians lower the unmanned robotic submersible recovery system, known as Max Rover, into the water at the Trident Pier at Port Canaveral during a test of the system. Kennedy Space Center's solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval team and Advanced Systems Development laboratory staff hope that the new robotic technology will make the process of inserting the Diver Operated Plug (DOP) into the aft nozzle of a spent SRB safer and less strenuous. Currently, scuba divers manually insert the DOP into the aft nozzle of a jettisoned SRB 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. After the plug is installed, water is pumped out of the booster allowing it to float horizontally. It is then towed back to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Deep Sea Systems of Falmouth, Mass., built the submersible for NASA KSC-97PC1301

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians lower the unmanned robotic s...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians lower the unmanned robotic submersible recovery system, known as Max Rover, into the water at the Trident Pier at Port Canaveral during a test of the system. Kennedy Sp... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As scuba divers stand by, a Diver Operated Plug (DOP) is lowered into the water at the Trident Pier at Port Canaveral during a test of the unmanned robotic submersible recovery system, known as Max Rover. Kennedy Space Center's solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval team and Advanced Systems Development laboratory staff hope that the new robotic technology will make the process of inserting the plug into spent SRBs safer and less strenuous. Currently, scuba divers manually insert the DOP into the aft nozzle of a jettisoned SRB 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. After the plug is installed, water is pumped out of the booster allowing it to float horizontally. It is then towed back to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Station for refurbishment. Deep Sea Systems of Falmouth, Mass., built the submersible for NASA KSC-97PC1298

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As scuba divers stand by, a Diver Operat...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As scuba divers stand by, a Diver Operated Plug (DOP) is lowered into the water at the Trident Pier at Port Canaveral during a test of the unmanned robotic submersible recovery sys... More

Technicians at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), connect the crane to the top of the Cassini spacecraft in preparation for the lift to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1306

Technicians at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), c...

Technicians at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), connect the crane to the top of the Cassini spacecraft in preparation for the lift to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini... More

The Cassini spacecraft is lowered to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1307

The Cassini spacecraft is lowered to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur l...

The Cassini spacecraft is lowered to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronau... More

Technicians at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), connect the crane to the top of the Cassini spacecraft in preparation for the lift to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1305

Technicians at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), c...

Technicians at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), connect the crane to the top of the Cassini spacecraft in preparation for the lift to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini... More

The Cassini spacecraft is rolled out of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., shortly before being transported to Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) where it will be lifted to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1303

The Cassini spacecraft is rolled out of the Payload Hazardous Servicin...

The Cassini spacecraft is rolled out of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., shortly before being transported to Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) where i... More

Technicians at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) begin to remove the transportation cover from the Cassini spacecraft after it was lifted to the top of the Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle at Complex 40. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1302

Technicians at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) begin to remove the t...

Technicians at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) begin to remove the transportation cover from the Cassini spacecraft after it was lifted to the top of the Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle at Complex 40. Cassini... More

The Cassini spacecraft arrives at Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), where it will be lifted to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-97PC1304

The Cassini spacecraft arrives at Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Stati...

The Cassini spacecraft arrives at Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), where it will be lifted to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the N... More

A crane lowers a protective transportation cover over the Cassini spacecraft, with its attached Huygens probe, at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station for the spacecraft’s return trip to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF). Damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle. Cassini will explore the Saturnian system, including the planet’s rings, while the Huygens probe will explore the moon Titan KSC-97PC1348

A crane lowers a protective transportation cover over the Cassini spac...

A crane lowers a protective transportation cover over the Cassini spacecraft, with its attached Huygens probe, at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station for the spacecraft’s return trip to the Payload Haza... More

The Cassini spacecraft, with its attached Huygens probe, is lowered from Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station for its return trip to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF). Damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle. Cassini will explore the Saturnian system, including the planet’s rings, while the Huygens probe will explore the moon Titan KSC-97PC1347

The Cassini spacecraft, with its attached Huygens probe, is lowered fr...

The Cassini spacecraft, with its attached Huygens probe, is lowered from Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station for its return trip to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF). Damage to thermal ins... More

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) finish the removal of a protective cover from the Cassini spacecraft with its attached Huygens probe. Damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Cassini will explore the Saturnian system, including the planet’s rings, while the Huygens probe will explore the moon Titan KSC-97PC1350

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) finish the ...

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) finish the removal of a protective cover from the Cassini spacecraft with its attached Huygens probe. Damage to thermal insulation was discovered insid... More

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) begin to remove a protective cover from the Cassini spacecraft with its attached Huygens probe. Damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Cassini will explore the Saturnian system, including the planet’s rings, while the Huygens probe will explore the moon Titan KSC-97PC1349

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) begin to re...

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) begin to remove a protective cover from the Cassini spacecraft with its attached Huygens probe. Damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huyg... More

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1363

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Pa...

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered ... More

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1362

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Pa...

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered ... More

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1360

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers remove the Huygens probe from ...

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to th... More

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Further internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe are now required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1361

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Pa...

Workers remove the Huygens probe from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered ... More

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the front heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1395

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the front heat shield of...

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the front heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to therma... More

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift part of the Huygens probe aft cover assembly in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1394

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift part of the Huygens prob...

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift part of the Huygens probe aft cover assembly in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to ther... More

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers examine the Huygens probe after removal from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1392

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers examine the Huygens probe afte...

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers examine the Huygens probe after removal from the Cassini spacecraft in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF aft... More

Pieces of the Huygens probe internal insulating foam await inspection after removal from the probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1393

Pieces of the Huygens probe internal insulating foam await inspection ...

Pieces of the Huygens probe internal insulating foam await inspection after removal from the probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage... More

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers place the back cover of the Huygens probe under its front heat shield in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1390

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers place the back cover of the H...

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers place the back cover of the Huygens probe under its front heat shield in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF ... More

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1388

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the H...

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insu... More

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers place the back cover of the Huygens probe under its front heat shield in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1391

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers place the back cover of the H...

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers place the back cover of the Huygens probe under its front heat shield in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF ... More

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after the Cassini spacecraft, aboard which Huygens will be launched, returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station KSC-97PC1389

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the H...

Dornier Satelliten Systeme (DSS) workers lift the heat shield of the Huygens probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insu... More

The Cassini spacecraft, covered by an environmentally controlled protective enclosure, is lifted at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), in preparation to mate it to the top of its Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 13, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will orbit and study Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology KSC-11401f24

The Cassini spacecraft, covered by an environmentally controlled prote...

The Cassini spacecraft, covered by an environmentally controlled protective enclosure, is lifted at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), in preparation to mate it to the top of its Titan IV/Cen... More

The Cassini spacecraft, protected by an environmentally controlled protective fairing, is sitting at Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, awaiting its launch scheduled for mid-October atop a Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. A four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several moons. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing the Cassini project KSC-11416f04

The Cassini spacecraft, protected by an environmentally controlled pro...

The Cassini spacecraft, protected by an environmentally controlled protective fairing, is sitting at Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, awaiting its launch scheduled for mid-October atop a Titan IV/Centaur l... More

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) to protect Cassini during launch. Scheduled for launch in mid-October, the Cassini mission is a joint US-European four-year orbital surveillance of Saturn's atmosphere and magnetosphere, its rings, and its moons, seeks insight into the origins and evolution of the early solar system. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing the Cassini project KSC-11415f07

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Laun...

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) to protect Cassini during launch. Scheduled for launch in mid-October, the Cassini mission is... More

The Cassini spacecraft, protected by an environmentally controlled protective fairing, is sitting at Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, awaiting its launch scheduled for mid-October atop a Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. A fouryear, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the Cassini mission will take seven years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. Scientific instruments carried aboard the spacecraft will study Saturn’s atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, and several moons. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing the Cassini project KSC-11415f10

The Cassini spacecraft, protected by an environmentally controlled pro...

The Cassini spacecraft, protected by an environmentally controlled protective fairing, is sitting at Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, awaiting its launch scheduled for mid-October atop a Titan IV/Centaur l... More

The Cassini spacecraft, with the Huygens probe seen on the right in this photo, sits atop a Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, where it awaits placement of its payload fairing to protect Cassini during launch. Instruments mounted on the Huygens probe, which was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), will receive atmospheric and surface data on Saturn’s main moon, Titan, to send back to Earth as part of the mission. A four-year, close-up study of the Saturnian system, the mission is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station in mid-October KSC-11415f03

The Cassini spacecraft, with the Huygens probe seen on the right in th...

The Cassini spacecraft, with the Huygens probe seen on the right in this photo, sits atop a Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, where it awaits placement of its p... More

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) to protect Cassini during launch. Scheduled for launch in mid-October, the Cassini mission is a joint US-European four-year orbital surveillance of Saturn's atmosphere and magnetosphere, its rings, and its moons, seeks insight into the origins and evolution of the early solar system. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing the Cassini project KSC-11415f06

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Laun...

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) to protect Cassini during launch. Scheduled for launch in mid-October, the Cassini mission is... More

At the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Station, astronaut C. Michael Foale prepares to return to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He spent approximately four-and-a-half months living and working aboard the Russian Space Station Mir. Foale returned to Earth Oct. 6 aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis, which docked with the Mir during the just-completed STS-86 Shuttle mission. Foale was replaced on the Mir by STS-86 Mission Specialist David A. Wolf KSC-97PC1509

At the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Station, astronaut C. Michael ...

At the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Station, astronaut C. Michael Foale prepares to return to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He spent approximately four-and-a-half months living and working abo... More

Still celebrating his recent homecoming and reunion with his family, astronaut C. Michael Foale picks up his 3-year-son Ian, while his 5-year-old daughter, Jenna, stands by at the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Station. They are scheduled to depart shortly for the astronauts’ home base at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Foale spent approximately four-and-a-half months on the Russian Space Station Mir. He returned to Earth on Oct. 6 aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis at the conclusion of the STS-86 mission. STS-86 was the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Mir. Foale was replaced on the Mir by STS-86 Mission Specialist David A. Wolf KSC-97PC1510

Still celebrating his recent homecoming and reunion with his family, a...

Still celebrating his recent homecoming and reunion with his family, astronaut C. Michael Foale picks up his 3-year-son Ian, while his 5-year-old daughter, Jenna, stands by at the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral A... More

Members of the STS-86 crew pose for a last photograph at the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Station before flying back to their home base at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. From left, are Mission Specialist Wendy B. Lawrence, Mission Specialist and recent Mir 24 crew member C. Michael Foale, Commander James D. Wetherbee, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Vladimir Georgievich Titov of the Russian Space Agency and Jean-Loup J.M. Chretien of the French Space Agency, CNES. Foale, who was on the Russian Space Station Mir since mid-May, returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis at the Oct. 6 KSC landing of Mission STS-86. He was replaced on the Mir by STS-86 Mission Specialist David A. Wolf, who is scheduled to remain there until mid-January KSC-97PC1508

Members of the STS-86 crew pose for a last photograph at the Skid Stri...

Members of the STS-86 crew pose for a last photograph at the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Station before flying back to their home base at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. From left, are Mission ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1536

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral A...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, comp... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1535

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are instal...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical powe... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, one of three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) is being installed on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1534

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, one of three Radio...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, one of three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) is being installed on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical p... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1538

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are instal...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical powe... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1532

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral A...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, comp... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1533

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are instal...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical powe... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13 KSC-97PC1537

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are instal...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical powe... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown sequence. Retraction of the structure began about an hour later than scheduled due to minor problems with ground support equipment. The launch vehicle, Cassini spacecraft and attached Centaur stage encased in a payload fairing, altogether stand about 183 feet tall; mounted at the base of the launch vehicle are two upgraded solid rocket motors. Liftoff of Cassini on the journey to Saturn and its moon Titan is slated to occur during a window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13, and extending through 7:15 a.m KSC-97PC1540

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower is rolled away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown sequence. Retraction of the structure began about an hour later than scheduled due to minor problems with ground support equipment. The countdown clock for the Cassini mission began ticking earlier today at the T-26-hour mark. Other upcoming prelaunch milestones include activation of the final launch sequence for the Cassini spacecraft at the T-180-minute mark in the countdown, to be followed about an hour later by initiation of loading of the Titan IVB's Centaur stage with its complement of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Liftoff of Cassini on the journey to Saturn and its moon Titan is slated to occur during a window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13, and extending through 7:15 a.m KSC-97PC1539

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower is rolled away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown sequence... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft and its attached Huygens probe. This is the second launch attempt for the Saturn-bound mission; a first try Oct. 13 was scrubbed primarily due to concerns about upper level wind conditions. Liftoff Oct. 15 is set to occur during a launch window opening at 4:43 a.m. EDT and extending until 7:03 a.m. Clearly visible in this view are the 66-foot-tall, 17-foot-wide payload fairing atop the vehicle, in which Cassini and the attached Centaur stage are encased, the two-stage liquid propellant core vehicle, and the twin 112-foot long solid rocket motor upgrades (SRMUs) straddling the core vehicle. It is the SRMUs which ignite first to begin the launch sequence KSC-97PC1542

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft and its attached Huygens probe. This is the second... More

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower is being rolled away from the Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle carrying the Cassini spacecraft, completing a major countdown milestone. This is the second launch attempt for the Saturn-bound mission; a first try Oct. 13 was scrubbed primarily due to concerns about upper level wind conditions. Liftoff Oct. 15 is set to occur during a launch window opening at 4:43 a.m. EDT and extending until 7:03 a.m KSC-97PC1541

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service...

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower is being rolled away from the Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle carrying the Cassini spacecraft, completing a major countdown mileston... More

NASA Space Science. NASA public domain image colelction.

NASA Space Science. NASA public domain image colelction.

At Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower is being rolled away from the Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle carrying the Cassini spacecraft, completing a major countdown mileston... More

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