The powerful antenna system that will enable NASA's GLAST to communicate with stations on Earth has been successfully connected to the spacecraft.
GLAST Mission Coverage
Spacecraft Ready for Fueling, Rocket Testing Conducted
Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann › View larger image
› View GLAST Image Gallery Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers move the GLAST spacecraft toward the Hazardous Processing Facility where it will be fueled. The spacecraft is set for launch aboard a Delta II rocket no earlier than June 3. The launch window runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT . At Launch Pad 17-B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers conducted a cryogenic test of the Delta II first stage with a countdown and loading of liquid oxygen as a leak check of the first stage. The following day, the team conducted a simulated flight test to exercise the onboard vehicle systems of the Delta II from liftoff through spacecraft separation.
GLAST: Exploring the Extreme Universe
The Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is a powerful space observatory that will explore the Universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our Universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.
Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann › View larger image
› View GLAST Image Gallery Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers move the GLAST spacecraft toward the Hazardous Processing Facility where it will be fueled. The spacecraft is set for launch aboard a Delta II rocket no earlier than June 3. The launch window runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT . At Launch Pad 17-B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers conducted a cryogenic test of the Delta II first stage with a countdown and loading of liquid oxygen as a leak check of the first stage. The following day, the team conducted a simulated flight test to exercise the onboard vehicle systems of the Delta II from liftoff through spacecraft separation.
GLAST: Exploring the Extreme Universe
The Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is a powerful space observatory that will explore the Universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our Universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.
Features
Powerful Antenna Attached to NASA's GLAST Satellite
GLAST Rocket Coming Together
The Delta II 7920-H rocket that will launch GLAST is in the process of being assembled on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
NASA Opens GLAST Monitor Center
On April 9, 2008, NASA opened the GLAST Burst Monitor Instrument Operations Center, the focal point for observing the universe's most powerful explosions.
Background Features
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History of Cosmic Discovery: Opening New Windows
An old saying goes: Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it. But research astronomers are quite content to repeat the history of their field, and for good reason.
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A Timeline of Gamma-Ray Astronomy
Learn more about the timeline of Gamma-Ray Astronomy.
GLAST Multimedia
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Prepare to Launch!
Follow the Delta II rocket and GLAST spacecraft during preparations for liftoff.
› View Image Gallery
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Test Your Knowledge
Find out if you've got the right stuff to plot the course for future space missions.
› Take the Quiz
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Mission to the Universe
Go behind the scenes as a Delta II rocket prepares to launch the GLAST spacecraft.