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Mounted atop Atlas 5
After reaching Lockheed Martin's Vertical Integration Facility following the early morning drive across the Cape, a crane lifts the New Horizons spacecraft into the 30-story building for mounting atop the awaiting Atlas 5 vehicle.

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Leaving the hangar
The New Horizons spacecraft, mounted atop a special transporter, departs Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility after spending three months in the building undergoing testing, final closeouts, filling of its hydrazine fuel, mating with the third stage kick motor and spin-balance checks. The probe was driven to the Atlas 5 rocket's assembly building at Complex 41 for mating with the launcher.

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Mission logo
With New Horizons enclosed within the Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket's nose cone, a large decal reading: "New Horizons: Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission" is applied to the payload fairing.

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Nose cone encapsulation
The New Horizons is packed away for its launch to Pluto as workers slide the two-piece Atlas 5 rocket nose cone around the spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The Swiss-made shroud protects the spacecraft during ascent through Earth's atmosphere.

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Science of New Horizons
The first robotic space mission to visit the distant planet Pluto and frozen objects in the Kuiper Belt is explained by the project's managers and scientists in this NASA news conference from the agency's Washington headquarters on Dec. 19.

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Pluto spacecraft
The Pluto New Horizons spacecraft, destined to become the first robotic probe to visit Pluto and its moon Charon, arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in advance of its January blastoff.

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Mars probe leaves Earth
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter lifts off aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41.

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Launch of Atlas 5!
The fifth Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket blasts off to deploy the Inmarsat 4-F1 mobile communications spacecraft into orbit. (2min 35sec file)
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Extended launch movie
An extended length clip follows the Atlas 5 launch from T-minus 1 minute through ignition of the Centaur upper stage and jettison of the nose cone. (6min 43sec file)
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Onboard camera
An onboard video camera mounted to the Atlas 5 rocket's first stage captures this view of the spent solid-fuel boosters separating.
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Launch photo gallery
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: January 19, 2006

The Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket blasts off at 2:00 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41. New Horizons is heading to Pluto and beyond on the first mission of exploration to the outer frontier of our solar system.

These photos were taken by NASA's Kennedy Space Center.







Credit: NASA-KSC
 

Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: THE ATLAS 5 LAUNCH EXPERIENCE SMALL | MEDIUM | LARGE
VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD BASE CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: FACING THE FLAME TRENCH PLAY
VIDEO: CLOSE-UP OF BOOSTERS AT IGNITION PLAY
VIDEO: CAMERA ON ATLAS 5 ASSEMBLY HANGAR PLAY
VIDEO: ROOF OF SPACE SHUTTLE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY
VIDEO: TRACKER MONITORS ENGINES DURING FLIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: THE UCS 15 GROUND TRACKING CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKER FOLLOWS ROCKET PLAY
VIDEO: TRACKER SHOWS THE VEHICLE'S ROLL PROGRAM PLAY
VIDEO: VIEW FROM SHUTTLE COUNTDOWN CLOCK PLAY

VIDEO: LIFTOFF OF NEW HORIZONS! SHORT | LONGER
VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM THE PRESS SITE PLAY
VIDEO: ALL FIVE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS JETTISON PLAY
VIDEO: THE THIRD STAGE BURN PLAY
VIDEO: NEW HORIZONS IS DEPLOYED FROM THIRD STAGE PLAY
VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH NASA LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY
VIDEO: WATCH POST-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND

VIDEO: NARRATED FOOTAGE OF ATLAS 5'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED FOOTAGE OF NEW HORIZON'S CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S LAUNCH ATTEMPT IS SCRUBBED PLAY
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