
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., a worker adjusts an insulating blanket around the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. Two solar arrays will be installed June 24-25, followed by a deployment test. Launch is scheduled for July 30, 2004 from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft will fly past Earth once, Venus twice and Mercury three times before starting a year-long orbital study of Mercury in March 2011. MESSENGER was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.
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NASA ID
KSC-04pd1325
Date Created
June 21, 2004
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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