Glory to launch 23 February
An artist’s rendering of the Glory spacecraft. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Ryan Zuber
NASA’s Glory mission, previously described on Urban Astronomer (NASA’s Glory) is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Feb. 23, from Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Data from the Glory mission will allow scientists to better understand how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect Earth’s climate. Both aerosols and solar energy influence the planet’s energy budget – the amount of energy entering and exiting Earth’s atmosphere. An accurate measurement of these impacts is important to anticipate future changes to our climate.
The launch is scheduled for just after midnight, south african time, and will be broadcast on NASA TV. You can watch it on your browser at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv