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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The payload fairing for the Glory mission stands in the East High Bay at the Astrotech payload processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The payload fairing will cover the Glory spacecraft and be placed at the top of a Taurus XL rocket slated to lift the spacecraft into orbit. The payload fairing will protect the Glory spacecraft from aerodynamic pressures and heating during the first part of its climb into orbit. Once Glory reaches orbit, it 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. Launch is scheduled for 5:09 a.m. EST Feb. 23. For information, visit www.nasa.gov/glory. Photo credit: NASA/Ed Henry, VAFB