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Final Rocket Components Arrive in Florida for Parker Solar Probe

A large rocket stage is being transported out of an industrial facility on a specialized vehicle. The cylindrical structure, painted white and tan with a red cap on the end, is escorted by workers in safety vests under a clear blue sky. Another rocket stage is visible inside the large open building.
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy common booster core arrives at the Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for preflight processing. The Delta IV Heavy will launch NASA’s upcoming Parker Solar Probe mission. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

All components of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket that will launch NASA’s Parker Solar Probe have arrived for prelaunch processing at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

A large ship passes through a narrow canal at sunset, with the sun low on the horizon casting a golden glow over the water. The ship’s massive side is in the foreground, painted blue and white, while the sky transitions from deep blue to orange.
Sunrise is reflected in the side of the Mariner ship and in the water of Port Canaveral below. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
A large cargo truck is seen unloading a massive white container from the interior of a ship via a ramp at a busy dock. Workers in safety gear stand nearby, guiding the operation. Cranes and other port equipment are visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
The Port Common Booster Core of the Delta IV Heavy for the Parker Solar Probe Mission is offloaded from the Mariner ship for transport to the Horizontal Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 37. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

The rocket’s second stage arrived Saturday, Aug. 26, along with the third and final common booster core, which will complete the first stage. The hardware was delivered by ship to Port Canaveral, then transported by truck to the Horizontal Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 37.

The Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun’s atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.