KSC-04pd-2287
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-A , Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., a Boeing technician gives the signal to lift the transport canister surrounding the Swift spacecraft. A first-of-its-kind multi-wavelength observatory dedicated to the study of gamma-ray burst (GRB) science, Swift’s three instruments will work together to observe GRBs and afterglows in the gamma ray, X-ray, ultraviolet and optical wavebands. It is expected to observe more than 200 gamma-ray bursts - the most comprehensive study of GRB afterglows to date - during its 2-year mission. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. Swift is scheduled to launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST Nov. 17.
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NASA ID
04pd2287
Date Created
November 8, 2004
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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