
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the third stage of the Pegasus XL rocket that will launch the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) to orbit is offloaded for processing in Building 1555. After the rocket and spacecraft are processed at Vandenberg, they will be shipped to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site located at the Pacific Ocean’s Kwajalein Atoll for launch. The high-energy X-ray telescope will conduct a census for black holes, map radioactive material in young supernovae remnants, and study the origins of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
KSC-2010-4690
Date Created
September 16, 2010
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Vandenberg AFB, CA
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
Large
1920px