[meteorite-list] NASA's Next Mars Spacecraft Arrives in Florida for Final Checkout

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon May 2 17:43:59 2005
Message-ID: <200505022143.j42LhQ200532_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington May 2, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1753)

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 321/867-2468)

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone: 818/354-6278)

Joan Underwood
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver
(Phone: 303/971-7398)

RELEASE: 05-114

NASA'S NEXT MARS SPACECRAFT ARRIVES IN FLORIDA FOR FINAL CHECKOUT

A large spacecraft destined to be Earth's next robotic emissary to Mars
has completed the first leg of its journey, a cargo-plane ride from
Colorado to Florida in preparation for an August launch. NASA's Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is an important next step in fulfilling
NASA's vision of space exploration and ultimately sending
human explorers to Mars and beyond.

The spacecraft's prime mission will run through 2010. During this
period the project will study Mars' composition and structure, from
atmosphere to underground, in much greater detail than any previous
orbiter. It also will evaluate possible sites for future martian
landings and will serve as a high-data-rate communications relay
for surface missions.

"Great work by a talented team has brought Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
to this milestone in our progress toward a successful mission," said
Jim Graf of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.,
project manager for the mission.

The spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing
Facility on April 30 aboard a C-17 cargo plane and was taken to the
Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility to begin processing. It was
built near Denver by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. Launch is
scheduled for Aug. 10 at 7:53:58 a.m. EDT, at the opening of
a two-hour launch window.

The spacecraft will undergo multiple mechanical assembly operations
and electrical tests to verify its readiness for launch. A test this
month will verify the spacecraft's ability to communicate through
NASA's Deep Space Network tracking stations. A June test will check
the deployment of the spacecraft's high gain communications antenna.
Another major deployment test will check out the spacecraft's large
solar arrays.

In July, the spacecraft will be filled with hydrazine fuel for
the "Mars orbit insertion" engine burn, which will be used to reduce the
velocity of the spacecraft and place it in orbit around Mars. The fuel
also will be used for attitude-control propellant. On July 26 the MRO
will be encapsulated in the Atlas V fairing prior to being moved to its
launch site on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Lockheed Martin Atlas V arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
aboard an Antonov cargo plane on March 31 and was taken to the high bay
at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center. The Atlas booster will be
transported in May to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Space
Launch Complex 41 to be erected. The Centaur upper stage will be
transported to that facility for hoisting atop the booster in June.

Prelaunch preparations will include a "wet dress rehearsal" in July,
during which the Atlas V will be rolled from the VIF to the launch pad
on its mobile launch platform. The vehicle will be fully fueled with
RP-1, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and the team will perform a
simulated countdown. The Atlas V will then be rolled back into the VIF
for final launch preparations.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will be transported from the Payload
Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center to the VIF on
July 29. It will be hoisted atop the launch vehicle to join the
Atlas V for the final phase of launch preparations. The spacecraft is
scheduled to undergo a functional test on August 1, followed by a final
week of launch vehicle and spacecraft closeouts.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission is managed by JPL, a division of the
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, for the NASA Science Mission
Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor
for the project. International Launch Services, a Lockheed Martin joint
venture, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems are providing launch services
for the mission.

Information about Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is available online at:

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro

-end-
Received on Mon 02 May 2005 05:43:26 PM PDT