Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report
May 26, 2004

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center
(321) 867-2468

MISSION: MESSENGER
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II Heavy
LAUNCH PAD: SLC-17B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: July 30, 2004
LAUNCH WINDOW: 2:17:44 a.m. - 2:17:56 a.m. (EDT)

MESSENGER is undergoing pre-launch testing at the Astrotech Space Operations facilities near KSC. Autonomy testing of the spacecraft continues. This verifies MESSENGER's ability to operate on its own when not in direct contact with Earth. Installation of thermal blankets has been completed as required by the schedule up to this time. In upcoming work, the flight battery is scheduled for installation June 8 and the solar arrays will be installed June 22.

The review to assess readiness to begin stacking the Boeing Delta II rocket on Pad 17-B was successfully completed May 19. Vehicle stacking begins with the first stage June 18.

The launch period for MESSENGER extends through Aug. 13.

MESSENGER was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.