KSC-2010-5731

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences Corp. Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the first, second and third stages of the Taurus XL rocket are cabled up for a flight simulation. In front is the interstage associated with the first stage. The Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket, targeted to lift off Feb. 23, 2011, from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 576-E, will take NASA's Glory satellite into low Earth orbit. Once in orbit, Glory will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB