Final preparations for NASA's next mission to Mars have been completed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission is scheduled to liftoff from Cape Canaveral in August 2005 aboard an Atlas V rocket. The two solar arrays that will power the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have been meticulously cleaned, tested and inspected. Engineers have also tested the engines aboard the spacecraft that will slow the satellite to enter orbit around Mars. The Atlas V rocket arrived at Kennedy Space Center in stages, which were then stacked together and rolled out to the launch pad. On July 7th, the launch team performed a 'wet dress rehearsal' of countdown activities filling the launch vehicle with propellant. Snuggled in its protective fairing, the spacecraft was transported to the launch pad on July 28th where it was placed on top of the rocket to await launch. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission will provide more information than ever before about the environment and terrain of our mysterious sister planet.
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NASA ID
ksc_080505_mroprocess
Date Created
August 5, 2005
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KSC
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video
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NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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