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

[Ron Baalke]

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

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