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NASA's first step back to the moon will become a reality with the liftoff of the

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and its companion,

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the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite.

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LRO and LCROSS will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from

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Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

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Built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland,

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LRO arrived at the payload processing facility of Astrotech Space Operations in

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Titusville, Fla., on Feb. 13.

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Following on LRO's heels, LCROSS arrived at Astrotech from Northrop Grumman's

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facility in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Feb. 19.

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On Feb. 20, the Atlas Vs Centaur second stage arrived in Florida,

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followed by the first stage on March 3 both were delivered by a Russian cargo plane

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that landed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's skid strip.

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In March, LRO underwent black light inspections to detect any possible particulate

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micro contamination, minute cracks or fluid leaks;

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and by April, LRO had its solar arrays installed.

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In the meantime, the systems and science instruments of LCROSS were prepared and

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tested for the rigors of this mission.

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In late April, the rocket's first stage, or booster stage, was transported to the

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Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

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The Centaur second stage, also known as the upper stage, was later moved out of the

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hangar and hoisted atop the booster stage.
By May 15 the Atlas V/Centaur stack was ready to be moved to the launch pad for a

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wet dress rehearsal or countdown test.

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This means the vehicle was fully loaded with liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and

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RP-1 propellants and tested.

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On May 28 the spacecraft was transported to Launch Complex 41 for mating

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with the Atlas V rocket.

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With these prelaunch milestones complete, LRO and LCROSS are now ready to

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journey to the moon LRO to find safe landing sites and available resources,

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and LCROSS to plunge into one of the polar caps to expose possible

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evidence of water ice.

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The twosome will help pave the way for humans to return to the moon our gateway

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to the universe.

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