The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired Wednesday, September 21,
from the Madrid tracking stations. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent
state of health and is operating normally.
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced today Mary Cleave, Ph.D., P.E. will be the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. Colleen Hartman, Ph.D., will be the deputy associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate.
Cleave served as the director of NASA's Earth-Sun System Division in the Science Mission Directorate. She began her NASA career at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) when she was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. She has flown two Space Shuttle missions, logging more than 262 hours in space.
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced today that Brian Chase will serve as the agency's new assistant administrator for Legislative Affairs.
Chase most recently was vice president of Washington Operations for the Space Foundation. The Foundation is the leading non-profit organization advancing the exploration, development and use of space for civil, commercial and national security endeavors. He represented the Foundation for space policy, educational programs, events, conferences, symposia and media activities.
A seven-month flight to Mars began this morning for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). It will inspect the red planet in fine detail and assist future landers.
An Atlas V launch vehicle, 19 stories tall with the two-ton spacecraft on top, roared away from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:43 a.m. EDT. Its powerful first stage consumed about 200 tons of fuel and oxygen in just over four minutes, then dropped away to let the upper stage finish the job of putting the spacecraft on a path toward Mars. This was the first launch of an interplanetary mission on an Atlas V.
The launch of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been postponed. The new launch window is 7:43 to 9:43 a.m. EDT, Friday, August 12.
