NASA Prepares Satellite Launches: Landsat Data Continuity Mission Liftoff On Time

Preparations are under way to begin the build-up of the Atlas V 401 rocket for NASA’s TDRS-K At Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Atlas V booster stage will be hoisted into position in the Vertical Integration Facility near the pad Thursday and the Centaur upper stage will be hoisted atop the booster Friday. Meanwhile, at the Astrotech payload processing facility located near Kennedy Space Center, work to prepare TDRS-K for launch is going well. Electrical testing of the spacecraft is complete and fueling of the satellite is scheduled to occur this weekend. Liftoff is scheduled for Jan. 29 at 8:52 p.m. EST.

Launch preparations also are proceeding smoothly in California where technicians are readying the Landsat Data Continuity Mission for liftoff Feb. 11 from Vandenberg AFB. The spacecraft Comprehensive Performance Test of the instruments and systems is complete, the solar array first motion test was successfully performed and the X-band communications antenna has been installed. Today the spacecraft battery is being charged. Fueling of the spacecraft is scheduled to occur next week. Liftoff will occur aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at 1:04 p.m. EST/10:04 a.m. PST.