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NASA's first step back to the moon will become a reality with the liftoff of the
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and its companion,
the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite.
LRO and LCROSS will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland,
LRO arrived at the payload processing facility of Astrotech Space Operations in
Titusville, Fla., on Feb. 13.
Following on LRO's heels, LCROSS arrived at Astrotech from Northrop Grumman's
facility in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Feb. 19.
On Feb. 20, the Atlas Vs Centaur second stage arrived in Florida,
followed by the first stage on March 3 both were delivered by a Russian cargo plane
that landed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's skid strip.
In March, LRO underwent black light inspections to detect any possible particulate
micro contamination, minute cracks or fluid leaks;
and by April, LRO had its solar arrays installed.
In the meantime, the systems and science instruments of LCROSS were prepared and
tested for the rigors of this mission.
In late April, the rocket's first stage, or booster stage, was transported to the
Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The Centaur second stage, also known as the upper stage, was later moved out of the
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
wet dress rehearsal or countdown test.
This means the vehicle was fully loaded with liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and
RP-1 propellants and tested.
On May 28 the spacecraft was transported to Launch Complex 41 for mating
with the Atlas V rocket.
With these prelaunch milestones complete, LRO and LCROSS are now ready to
journey to the moon LRO to find safe landing sites and available resources,
and LCROSS to plunge into one of the polar caps to expose possible
evidence of water ice.
The twosome will help pave the way for humans to return to the moon our gateway
to the universe.