mms – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Preview: Atlas 5 rocket to launch NASA magnetic field study

March 8, 2015 Justin Ray

A $1.1 billion science investigation involving four formation-flying satellites circling the Earth will share a single Atlas 5 rocket launch Thursday night from Cape Canaveral to probe explosions in the magnetic field with millisecond speed.

Weather looking acceptable for Atlas launch

March 8, 2015 Justin Ray

The preliminary weather outlook for Thursday night’s Atlas 5 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral is cloudy but optimistic that the vehicle will fly as scheduled.

Flight Readiness Review passed for next week’s Atlas 5 launch

March 6, 2015 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket and NASA’s four MMS satellite probes passed their Flight Readiness Review on Friday that assessed the progress of work and affirmed plans to launch next Thursday night.

Photos: Shroud installed around satellite quartet, connected to Atlas 5

March 4, 2015 Justin Ray

NASA’s four Magnetospheric Multiscale mission spacecraft were encapsulated Feb. 23 in the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket’s nose cone at the commercial Astrotech processing campus in Titusville. Delivery of the payload to the Atlas 5 assembly building for mating occurred on Friday, Feb. 27.

Four satellites mated to Atlas 5 rocket

February 27, 2015 Justin Ray

Four NASA satellites that will create a constellation of formation-flying spacecraft were placed aboard their shared United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket Friday.

Video: MMS preview briefing

February 25, 2015 Justin Ray

During a Feb. 25 briefing at NASA headquarters, details were discussed about the upcoming Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, scheduled for launch March 12 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Magnetic field laboratory being readied for launch

February 18, 2015 Justin Ray

A stack of four satellites, each one carrying 25 science sensors and together will perfect the art of formation flying, are being packaged inside an Atlas 5 rocket nose cone in preparation for mounting atop the booster next week.

Photos: Atlas 5 rocket assembled for NASA satellite launch

February 17, 2015 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket that will hurl the four MMS satellites into a highly elliptical Earth orbit on March 12 has completed its basic build up at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 Vertical Integration Facility.

Atlas 5 rocket assembly starts for NASA launch in March

February 5, 2015 Justin Ray

The Atlas rocket to launch four formation-flying spacecraft for NASA in March began to take shape Wednesday at the assembly building adjacent to the Complex 41 pad.

Magnetic explosion probes make it to the Cape

November 12, 2014 Justin Ray

Two probes joined an identical pair near their Florida launch site today for liftoff aboard an Atlas 5 rocket in March to study magnetic field explosions in space.