On Tuesday, technicians at the launch pad enclosed the GLAST spacecraft inside the fairing atop the Delta II rocket. The fairing serves to protect the spacecraft during its ride to space.
Last week, the Flight Program Verification was conducted. This is an electrical and mechanical test of the rocket and spacecraft working together as a single, integrated system during countdown and launch milestones. With this test completed, spacecraft closeouts began. Technicians successfully completed the state-of-health checks for the spacecraft after its rollout from Astrotech to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Pad 17-B on May 17.
Liftoff is set for no earlier than June 3 during a window that runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT.
GLAST
NASA's Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is a powerful space observatory that will open a wide window on the universe. Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light, and the gamma-ray sky is spectacularly different from the one we perceive with our own eyes. With a huge leap in all key capabilities, GLAST data will enable scientists to answer persistent questions across a broad range of topics, including supermassive black-hole systems, pulsars, the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for signals of new physics.
The mission is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership, developed by NASA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, along with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
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