Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 23 July 2010

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.

The launch vehicle was powered on for the first time July 20 to begin electrical tests. Initial testing of the guidance system and calibration of the vehicle’s power bus telemetry system are planned.

The Range Safety C-band transponder installation was completed this week, and vehicle receiver testing with the Western Range is planned for next week.

On stage 1, thrust vector actuator installation continues. On stage 2, the next significant work will be installation of additional cable harnesses during the first week of August.

The Glory spacecraft currently is scheduled to arrive at Vandenberg on Oct. 12 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