Falcon 9 Rocket Fully Fueled

Cloaked in morning fog at Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, fueling of the Falcon 9 rocket has been completed. The countdown continues for launch of the Jason-3 spacecraft. Since 1992, this will be the fourth in a series of spacecraft providing scientists with essential information about global and regional changes in the seas. Built by Thales Alenia of France, Jason-3 will measure the topography of the ocean surface for a four-agency international partnership consisting of NOAA, NASA, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, France’s space agency, and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.

Photo credit: NASA