Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report

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

Dec. 2, 2011

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

STATUS REPORT: ELV-120211

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT

Spacecraft: Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V-541 (AV-028)
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex-41
Launch Date: Nov. 26, 2011
Launch Time: 10:02 a.m. EST 

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory with the Curiosity rover was launched 
successfully aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Nov. 
26. The official liftoff time from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape 
Canaveral Air Force Station was 10:02:00.211 a.m. EST.

The Atlas booster stage, four solid rocket boosters and Centaur upper 
stage all performed well. Spacecraft separation from the Centaur 
occurred 44 minutes after launch, sending the spacecraft on a 
trajectory toward Mars. The cruise phase will last approximately 8 
1/2 months. Arrival on the surface of the Red Planet is in August 
2012.

Curiosity has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about 
whether Mars has had environments favorable for microbial life, 
including the chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will 
use a laser to look inside rocks and release the gasses so that its 
spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth.

This is the final Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report. Further 
status will be provided on a regular basis at Kennedy's social media 
sites: www.Twitter.com/nasakennedy and www.Facebook.com/nasakennedy 
and by calling NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site at 
321-867-2468. 

Archived status reports are available at:

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

	
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