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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA’S Launch Services Program

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Inside the Atlas Space Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sits the second-stage Centaur for a Lockheed Martin , designated AV- 007. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for the Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The MRO is designed for a series of global mapping, regional survey and targeted observations from a near-polar, low- altitude Mars orbit. 3 PRUHWKDQVFLHQWLILF([SORUHUV1XPHURXVLQWHUQD WLRQDOVDWHOOLWHVZHUHDOVRODXQFKHGE\1$6$ 7KH'HOWDIDPLO\RIYHKLFOHVKDVEHHQXSJUDGHG VHYHUDOWLPHVRYHUWKH\HDUV7KH'HOWDSURGXFHGE\ %RHLQJFXUUHQWO\KDVVROLGVWUDSRQPRWRUVOLTXLG IXHOHGILUVWDQGVHFRQGVWDJHVDQGDVROLGSURSHOODQW WKLUGVWDJH 7KH'HOWD,,,ODXQFKYHKLFOHZDVEXLOWDVDWUDQVL WLRQDOYHKLFOHDQGODXQFKHGRQO\WKUHHWLPHV7KH 'HOWD,9V\VWHPWKHQHZHVWLQ'HOWD·VIOHHWZLOO ODXQFKWKH*HRVWDWLRQDU\2SHUDWLRQDO(QYLURQPHQWDO 6DWHOOLWH *2(6 VHULHVRIVSDFHFUDIWDQGRWKHUIXWXUH The L-1011 carrier aircraft is in flight with its cargo of the Pegasus launch vehicle and SciSat-1 1$6$PLVVLRQV7KH'HOWD,9FDQFDUU\IURP underneath. SRXQGV NLORJUDPV WRSRXQGV  NLORJUDPV WR*72DQGIURPSRXQGV  NLORJUDPV WRSRXQGV NLORJUDPV LQWR Pegasus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·V6RODU5DGLDWLRQDQG&OLPDWH 625&( H[SHULPHQW-DQDQGWKH*DOD[\(YROXWLRQ ([SORUHU *$/(; $SULOERWKIURP &&$)6

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Launch of the SOHO spacecraft Dec. 2, 1995, aboard an Atlas rocket.

A Boeing Delta II rocket launches the Genesis spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Aug. 8, 2001.

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NASA’s Lunar Prospector spacecraft launches successfully on its way to the Moon from Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Jan. 6, 1998. It was the inaugural launch of Lockheed Martin’s Athena II launch vehicle and the first launch from the complex, operated by Spaceport Florida Authority.

7 PHOTO ON COVER: Emerging through the smoke and steam, a Boeing Delta II rocket carrying NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft lifts off Jan. 12, 2005, from Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. A NASA Discovery mission, Deep Impact is heading for space and a rendezvous 83 million miles from with Comet Tempel 1 in July 2005.

The launch team inside the blockhouse on Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, makes final checks before launch of the GOES-M satellite atop an Atlas rocket on July 23, 2001.

NASA: Explore. Discover. Understand.

IS-2005-05-015-KSC John F. 8