NASA picks Atlas 5 to launch New Horizons
Posted: Fri, Jul 25, 2003, 8:52 AM ET (1252 GMT)
NASA announced this week that it has selected an Atlas 5 to launch the New Horizons mission to Pluto in 2006. An Atlas 5 551 will launch the spacecraft in January 2006 from Cape Canaveral, according to the contract announcement; the value of the launch contract was not announced. The Atlas 5 beat out the Delta 4, the other vehicle developed under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, for the launch contract. The Atlas 5 551 is the largest standard version of the Atlas 5 booster, with a five-meter payload fairing and five strap-on boosters. The booster will place New Horizons on a trajectory that will take it past Jupiter in 2007, and then past Pluto and its moon Charon in the mid-2010s. New Horizons will be the second NASA mission to fly on an EELV: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will also launch on an Atlas 5 in 2005. That mission was originally scheduled to fly on an Atlas 3 but was moved to the Atlas 5 earlier this year.
NASA announced this week that it has selected an Atlas 5 to launch the New Horizons mission to Pluto in 2006. An Atlas 5 551 will launch the spacecraft in January 2006 from Cape Canaveral, according to the contract announcement; the value of the launch contract was not announced. The Atlas 5 beat out the Delta 4, the other vehicle developed under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, for the launch contract. The Atlas 5 551 is the largest standard version of the Atlas 5 booster, with a five-meter payload fairing and five strap-on boosters. The booster will place New Horizons on a trajectory that will take it past Jupiter in 2007, and then past Pluto and its moon Charon in the mid-2010s. New Horizons will be the second NASA mission to fly on an EELV: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will also launch on an Atlas 5 in 2005. That mission was originally scheduled to fly on an Atlas 3 but was moved to the Atlas 5 earlier this year.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
New Virgin Galactic spaceplane arrives at Spaceport America
Posted: Sat, Oct 31 10:38 AM ET (1438 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, November 2
Forum: Springs’ space future is bright without Space Command
Colorado Springs Gazette — 5:37 am ET (1037 GMT) S. Korea's Air Force to participate in U.S.-led space war game for 1st time
Yonhap News — 5:35 am ET (1035 GMT) The growing threats that make the Space Force essential
Washington Examiner — 5:33 am ET (1033 GMT) Lawfare against Elon Musk could affect the Artemis program
The Hill — 5:26 am ET (1026 GMT) Southland's global space company won't write down military policy
The Southland App (NZ) — 5:25 am ET (1025 GMT) |
