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The Mission




Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA
Payload: DirecTV 9S & Optus D1
Date: Oct. 13, 2006
Window: 2056-2156 GMT (4:56-5:56 p.m. EDT)
Site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana




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Mars rover seen by orbiter
Dazzling images from Mars are revealed by scientists. The robotic rover Opportunity has reached the massive Victoria crater with its steep cliffs and layers of rock exposing the planet's geologic history. Meanwhile, the new Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has photographed the rover and its surroundings from high above.

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STS-35: Insights into lifestyles of the galaxies
Loaded with a package of telescopes in its payload bay, shuttle Columbia soared into space for the first ASTRO mission in December 1990. The crew narrates this highlights film from the STS-35 mission in which the astronauts worked around the clock in two shifts to operate the observatory. The flight launched and then landed at night, and included the astronauts teaching from space.

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Hubble discovery
n this news conference from NASA Headquarters, scientists announce the Hubble Space Telescope's discovery of 16 extrasolar planet candidates orbiting a variety of distant stars in the central region of our Milky Way galaxy. Five of the newly found planets represent a new extreme type of planet not found in any nearby searches.

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Ariane 5 Launch Cue Card
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: October 10, 2006

Changes and additions:
- Oct. 10: Posting updated version to reflect 24-hour launch delay