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    NASA’s IXPE Rolls out to Launch Pad at Kennedy

    IXPE rollout at Kennedy Space Center

    NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, rolled out of Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A hangar to the launch pad on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 12:46 p.m. EST. The rocket and spacecraft are expected to go vertical this evening. NASA's first mission dedicated to measuring X-ray polarization, IXPE …

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    Watch NASA Coverage of IXPE Events Today

    NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer spacecraft

    NASA will provide coverage of today's prelaunch activities for the agency's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft, targeted to lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 1 a.m. EST. The launch is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy. Today's …

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    Weather Improves to 90% Favorable for Thursday’s IXPE Launch

    NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)

    The weather outlook for Thursday's early morning launch of NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center bumped up in a positive direction. Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's 45th Weather Squadron now predict a 90% chance of favorable conditions for liftoff, increasing by 10% from a day ago. The …

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    Solar Tour Pit Stop #4: Aurora

    Earth's Polar Light Show Welcome to the next stop on the solar tour! Auroras are the bright lights seen at Earth's north and south poles. Energy and particles from the Sun travel to Earth and interact with our planet's magnetic field. This interaction causes the colorful lights seen in auroras. Meet STEVE People around the …

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    Weather 80% Favorable for Thursday’s IXPE Launch

    Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's 45th Weather Squadron predict an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for Thursday's early morning launch of NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft from the Space Coast, with the cumulus cloud rule and thick cloud layer rule serving as the primary weather concerns. IXPE is scheduled …

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    NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Fully Fueled for Launch

    Editor's Note, Dec. 8, 2021: This post has been updated with more accurate fueling figures. In preparation for launch later this month, ground teams have successfully completed the delicate operation of loading the James Webb Space Telescope with the propellant it will use to steer itself while in space. In order to make critical course …

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    Progress for Webb at the Launch Site

    Webb in orbit at L2

    On Wednesday, Nov. 17, NASA Headquarters held its final review for the mission prior to launch. A week later, on Nov. 24, a review committee approved Webb's transition to the next stage in its preparations for launch. This week we've asked NASA's Randy Kimble, Webb's integration, test, and commissioning project scientist, to tell us how …

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    Solar Tour Pit Stop #3: Earth’s Upper Atmosphere

    Earth's Interface to Space Welcome to Earth's upper atmosphere, where things get weird. Home to: Earth's hottest (4,500 degrees F) AND coldest (-120 degrees F) temperatures 50 tons of incoming meteors, daily Air that is literally electric Satellite communications The ionosphere Lucky for us, the Sun's most harmful rays don't reach the ground. Instead they're …

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    Solar Tour Pit Stop #2: Eclipses

    A Total Solar Eclipse in Antarctica! Early this morning, there was a total solar eclipse across Antarctica! During a total solar eclipse, the Moon blocks out the Sun, creating the illusion of night during the day and a breathtaking sight in our sky. Join NASA Edge at 1:30 p.m. EST on NASA TV to see …

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    Solar Tour Pit Stop #1: Earth

    Greetings from Earth! Our solar tour begins on Earth. From here, one star shines brighter than all the rest. It's the closest star and the center of our solar system: our Sun. Earth is in the Goldilocks zone, just the right distance from the Sun to be habitable. A mission to touch the Sun We …

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