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George Diller: This is Pegasus launch control, where we have the L-1011 awaiting departure at the end of the runway,

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and as we await the final polls for that operation, we have the NASA mission integration manager Wanda Harding here with us.

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And we have a tape of some of the activities that have been going on here at Vandenberg to prepare the

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Pegasus rocket and the DART spacecraft for launch.

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So, if we can roll the tape now. Wanda, if you'll tell us what it is that we're seeing.

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Wanda Harding: The view that we have is the end result of a long journey from Dulles, Virginia, to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

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The DART space vehicle was integrated and tested in Dulles and transported cross-country to Vandenberg in July,

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originally for our original launch date last October.

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You notice the shipping crate that's in the back of the trailer. Of course, careful operations are required

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to carefully remove this from the tractor trailer.

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Once it's removed, it will be taken to the Processing Facility or the Vehicle Assembly Building for Pegasus and Orbital,

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where it will subsequently be mated with the Pegasus Launch Vehicle.

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Both representatives from Marshall Space Flight Center and Orbital Sciences Corporation are reflected in the video.

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The DART space vehicle was a joint effort between the two teams. You're observing the mating of the vehicle stages.

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The Pegasus is a three-stage solid motor rocket, with the fourth stage liquid.

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The DART space vehicle is a unique spacecraft for NASA because the space vehicle also incorporates or is a

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part of the actual Pegasus launch vehicle.

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The stage mate is both mechanical and electrical in nature.

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The view that you have is a vertical perspective of the DART space vehicle. Of course,

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all of the integration of the Pegasus, as well as the spacecraft, is done in a horizontal configuration.

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The view that you have is the avionics section, or the fourth-stage portion, coming over the HAPS, which is

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the Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion Unit, which constitutes the fourth stage of the Pegasus launch vehicle,

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as well as provides propulsion capability for the DART space vehicle.

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Once the DART space vehicle is secured and bolted with the HAPS stage,

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it's ready for configuration and mate with the Pegasus launch vehicle.

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Just to generally share a little information with you about the Pegasus launch vehicle itself,

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as I mentioned it is a three-stage solid propellant vehicle with a dual-purpose (in this case) fourth stage.

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The first stage is a winged stage, which provides lift during the first-stage ascent.

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It's ignited about five seconds after drop from the L-1011 aircraft.

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The thrust-vector controls for the second and third stage provide pitch and yaw control.

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We're now taking a view of the Pegasus third stage being mated with the DART space vehicle,

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also coincidentally what we call a "stage three-four mate."

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The fairing provides a protective shroud for the space vehicle during the initial ascent of the launch.

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It is a graphite-epoxy fairing, lined with aluminum to provide contamination control.

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The front view of the space vehicle you see is a UHF antenna, and also the hardware,

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AVGS, or the Advanced Video Guidance Sensor, which is a part of the technology demo for the DART mission.

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The software controlling the activities provides autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations, algorithms and controls.

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Once the space vehicle is mated and the fairing encloses the space vehicle, then it is ready for taxi or tug to the flight line,

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where it's mated with the L-1011.

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The fairing is composed of two halves. It also includes access doors for any requirements to access the

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the payload once the fairing encapsulation is complete.

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You'll notice the clean room garments that the technicians and engineers are wearing,

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and that's basically to minimize any contamination impact with the optical sensors that are onboard the DART space vehicle.

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The orbital carrier aircraft is a modified L-1011. The aircraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base last Wednesday,

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and the Pegasus was mated to the L-1011 on last Friday.

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At that time, NASA also completed our Flight Readiness Review,

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providing concurrence to proceed with the countdown and launch campaign activities here at Vandenberg.

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Prior to mating the Pegasus to the L-1011, the aircraft is jacked to provide additional clearance for the

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work required to properly mate the vehicle.

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Once that is completed, the plane is lowered, and we're ready to proceed into today's exciting activities

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that we're very much looking forward to: the launch of the DART space vehicle.

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Alright, thank you, Wanda.

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Thank you.

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And can you give us any status about our downrange support? Are things ready to track?

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Right now, we have a green on weather on our downrange support, and all looks good on the launch vehicle,

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as well as the space vehicle. So we're looking forward to a good launch today.

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Alright. Things are going well, so I guess next on our activity will be Omar Baez,

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the NASA launch manager, polling the NASA team for the status to give a go for the departure.

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So we'll be listening for that and thank you once again, Wanda.

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Thank you.

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