RBSP satellites hoisted atop Atlas rocket

NASA's Twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes already encapsulated in a four-meter-diameter nose cone is delivered from the Astrotech processing center in Titusville to the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 and hoisted atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.

The bullet-shaped shroud protects the satellite during ascent through Earth's atmosphere and then gets jettisoned to uncover the craft after the threshold the space is reached.

The operation occurred Friday, Aug. 10 in preparation for blastoff August 23.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the launch.

Photo credit: NASA-KSC