NASA MESSENGER Status Report 31 Mar 2004

MISSION: MESSENGER

LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II Heavy

LAUNCH PAD: 17-B

LAUNCH DATE: July 30, 2004 NET

LAUNCH WINDOW: 2:17:44 a.m. – 2:17:56 a.m. EDT

MESSENGER is at the Astrotech Space Operations facilities near
Kennedy Space Center where it is undergoing prelaunch testing. Testing
of the spacecraft’s radio system uplink and downlinks through the
KSC/JPL interface with the Deep Space Network is underway. This testing
will last about ten days. Autonomy testing is also underway. This
verifies MESSENGER’s ability to operate on its own when not in direct
contact with Earth. Installation of thermal blankets continues.

On April 13, the spacecraft will be moved from its current
location in the hazardous processing facility where it has been since
arrival to an adjacent non-hazardous payload processing facility. The
remainder of its final assembly and testing will be completed there.
The spacecraft will return to the hazardous processing facility when
ready for fueling, spin balance testing and mating to the upper stage.

MESSENGER has been built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.