Oct. 27, 2004

Michael Braukus 
Headquarters, Washington 
(Phone: VAFB, Calif. 805/605-3051) 

MEDIA ADVISORY: M04-172

NASA SETS NEW DART LAUNCH DATE

NASA announced Thursday is the next launch attempt for the 
Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft. 
The launch window opens at 2:16:13 p.m. EDT and closes at 2:21:57 
p.m. EDT. 

The launch is from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. aboard an Orbital 
Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL vehicle. The target drop time of the 
Pegasus from the carrier aircraft is 2:18 p.m. EDT.

The DART spacecraft will be launched on the Pegasus vehicle from its 
Stargazer L-1011 jet aircraft. At approximately 40,000 feet over the 
Pacific Ocean, the Pegasus will be released with the DART spacecraft. 
The vehicle will boost the DART spacecraft into a polar orbit, where 
it will rendezvous with another spacecraft.

DART is a flight demonstrator that provides a key step in establishing 
autonomous rendezvous capabilities for the U.S. space program and the 
Vision for Space Exploration. While astronauts have piloted previous 
rendezvous and docking efforts, the unmanned DART spacecraft will 
have only computers and sensors to perform all of its rendezvous 
functions. 

Future applications of technologies developed by the DART project will 
benefit the nation in future space systems development requiring 
in-space assembly, services, or other autonomous rendezvous 
operations. 

For information about DART on the Internet, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov 

	
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