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NASA budget
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, in his final press conference appearance, presents the 2006 budget information and answers reporters' questions on Hubble, the exploration plan and shuttle return-to-flight. (86min 37sec file)
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Meet the next ISS crew
Expedition 11 commander Sergei Krikalev, flight engineer John Phillips and Soyuz taxi crewmember Roberto Vittori hold a pre-flight news conference in Houston. Topics included problems with the shuttle safe haven concept. (42min 23sec file)

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Final Atlas 3 launched
The last Lockheed Martin Atlas 3 rocket launches from Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 2:41 a.m. EST carrying a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. This movie follows the mission through ignition of Centaur. (5min 30sec file)
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Atlas 3 onboard
A camera mounted on the Centaur upper stage captured this dramatic footage of the spent first stage separation, deployment of the RL10 engine nozzle extension, the powerplant igniting and the rocket's nose cone falling away during launch.
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Farewell to Complex 36
Following the 145th and final Atlas rocket liftoff from Cape Canaveral's Complex 36, officials "toast" the historic two-pad site and its blockhouse. Then the spotlights illuminating the pads are turned off as the complex "goes dark." (10min 50sec file)

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Shuttle crew in training
Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson go under water in the Neutral Bouyancy Lab's gigantic pool to practice spacewalk activities for the upcoming STS-114 return-to-flight space shuttle mission. (3min 45sec file)
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Atlas 5 receives contract for NRO satellite launch
ILS NEWS RELEASE
Posted: February 7, 2005

International Launch Services (ILS) has received authorization from the U.S. Air Force to begin operations for launch of a national security payload on an Atlas V vehicle in mid-2007 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Atlas 5
An Atlas rocket in the 401 vehicle configuration, like the one pictured, will launch an NRO payload in 2007. Photo: Lockheed Martin
 
This launch, designated NROL-24 for the National Reconnaissance Office, is one of seven initially assigned to ILS and the Lockheed Martin Atlas V launcher under the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. ILS, a Lockheed Martin Corp. joint venture, now has 16 EELV assignments. This is the sixth to be given the go-ahead for launch.

Lockheed Martin developed the Atlas V launcher to meet Air Force EELV requirements and for ILS commercial missions. The Atlas V vehicle has flown four times since its debut in 2002 - all successfully and all for commercial customers. The most recent Atlas V launch took place in December from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and another commercial mission is planned for March. The first government EELV launch of Atlas V is planned for April 2006.

The NROL-24 mission will use the Atlas V "401" configuration - with a 4-meter payload fairing, an Atlas Common Core Booster with no solid rocket motors, and a single-engine Centaur upper stage - and will launch from Atlas V's state-of-the-art Launch Complex 41. Details about the payload are classified.

Mark Albrecht, ILS president, said, "Our long and valued partnership with the NRO's Office of Space Launch goes back more than a decade, using many versions of our Atlas vehicles. This contract comes just as we completed the launch campaign for another Office of Space Launch mission, which was Thursday aboard the final Atlas III from the venerable Launch Complex 36. We are pleased that the government continues to entrust us with important missions such as these."

ILS markets and manages government and commercial missions on the Atlas rocket to customers worldwide. It also offers the Russian-built Proton vehicle to commercial customers. The company is headquartered near Washington, D.C.

The Atlas rockets and their Centaur upper stages are built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Denver, Colo.; Harlingen, Texas; and San Diego, Calif.