[meteorite-list] MRO Ready for Launch August 11

[Ron Baalke]

August 10, 2005

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

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

MEDIA ADVISORY: 78-05

NASA'S MARS ORBITER READY FOR LAUNCH AUGUST 11

The launch vehicle for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has 
been cleared for flight. The launch is scheduled for Thursday, August 
11. The launch window is from 7:50 to 9:35 a.m. EDT. 

The launch was postponed for 24 hours due to a failure of a Redundant 
Rate Gryo Unit (RRGU) at the manufacturer. The unit is similar to two 
RRGU's that are part of the flight control system on MRO's Atlas V 
launch vehicle. The decision to go ahead with Thursday's launch was 
made today by launch vehicle engineers following test and evaluation 
of the failed RRGUs at the manufacturer. Similar units on the Atlas V 
at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Complex 41 were deemed 
acceptable for MRO's launch. 

For interested media, the imagery opportunity for the Atlas V rollout 
from KSC's Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad departs 
from the KSC Press Site at 10:15 p.m. EDT tonight. 

On launch day, Aug. 11, the KSC News Center will open at 4:30 a.m. 
EDT. Foreign national news media should meet at Gate 1 at Cape 
Canaveral Air Force Station at 5 a.m. to be escorted to the KSC Press 
Site. NASA TV live coverage of the launch begins at 5:30 a.m. 

For information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on the Web, 
visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/mro

	
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