NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 16 August 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.

Launch vehicle receiver testing with the Western Range in under way. Flight computer testing began Friday and will wrap up early this week. The Vehicle Verification Test, an electrical systems test, is scheduled to begin this week.

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