Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report

[KSC News Center <ksc@mediaservices.nasa.gov>]

July 30, 2010

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov

STATUS REPORT: ELV-073010

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT

Spacecraft: Glory
Launch Vehicle: Taurus XL 3110
Launch Site:  Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Launch Date:  Nov. 22, 2010
Launch Time: 2:09 a.m. PST
Altitude/Inclination: 440 miles/98.2 degrees 

The Taurus rocket is in Orbital Sciences Hangar 1555 located on north 
Vandenberg Air Force Base where integration of the vehicle's flight 
hardware components continues.

Electrical testing is under way. Testing of the Taurus XL guidance 
system has been successfully completed. The flight computer was 
installed this week on July 26. Testing of the second stage telemetry 
system is under way. Testing of the vehicle's stage 0 and first stage 
power bus telemetry system is expected to be performed in mid-August, 
and vehicle receiver testing with the Western Range is also planned 
in that time frame.

The Glory spacecraft currently is scheduled to arrive at Vandenberg on 
or about Oct. 13 to begin processing for launch.

Data from the Glory mission will allow scientists to better understand 
the Earth's energy budget. An accurate description of the Earth's 
energy budget is important in order to anticipate future changes to 
our climate. Shifts in the global climate and the associated weather 
patterns impact human life by altering landscapes and changing the 
availability of natural resources. The Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor 
instrument will measure aerosols (human-caused and naturally 
occurring) to determine their relative influence on the global 
climate. The Total Irradiance Monitor instrument will monitor the Sun 
to understand short-term solar mechanisms causing energy budget 
changes and will contribute to the vital long-term solar record.

Previous status reports are available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/index.html 
 

	
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