Gravity Recovery

Artist concept of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment GRACE from December 2002. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04235 NASA/JPL

Artist concept of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment GRACE from December 2002. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04236 NASA/JPL

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle is being lifted into position in the Pad 17B gantry. The Delta II will More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle is secured into position inside the Pad 17B gantry. The Delta II will More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers guide the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle as it is being lifted into the Pad 17B gantry. The Delta More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers prepare a crane to lift the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle into Pad 17B's gantry at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Delta II wil More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Pad 17B monitor the progress as the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle is lifted into the gantry. The Delta II More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle has arrived at Pad 17B. The Delta II will carry NASA's Gravity Recover More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft logo is emblazed on the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle, now secured in the gantry a More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers prepare a crane to lift the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle into Pad 17B's gantry at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Delta II wil More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Pad 17B monitor the progress as the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle is lifted into the gantry. The Delta II More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle has arrived at Pad 17B. The Delta II will carry NASA's Gravity Recover More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers guide the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle as it is being lifted into the Pad 17B gantry. The Delta More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle is secured into position inside the Pad 17B gantry. The Delta II will More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An overhead crane lifts the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle into Pad 17B's gantry at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Delta II will carry More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A solid-fueled booster is lifted off a trailer at Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for launch. More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A solid-fueled booster is lifted into Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for launch. The Delta I More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Trucks deliver the first set of solid-fueled boosters to Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A solid-fueled booster is lifted off a trailer at Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for launch. More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A solid-fueled booster is lifted into Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for launch. The Delta I More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Trucks deliver the first set of solid-fueled boosters to Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A solid-fueled booster is lifted into Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for launch. The Delta I More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where it is being prepared for launch. The Delta II will More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where it is being prepared for launch. The Delta II will More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians lift the third solid-fueled booster into Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for laun More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A solid-fueled booster is lifted into Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for launch. The Delta I More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians prepare to lift the third solid-fueled booster into Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepar More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Trucks deliver the first set of solid-fueled boosters to Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where a United Launch Alliance Delta II is being prepared for More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Three solid-fueled rocket boosters are positioned for attachment to the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. The boosters are being attached to the rocket at Launch C More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Solid-fueled boosters are positioned beside the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for attachment. The boosters are being attached to the rocket at La More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians working at Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida prepare a solid-fueled rocket booster for connection to the first stage of a United Launch Allia More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers using an overhead crane hoist the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle toward the first stage for matin More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers secure the engine bell on the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle before it is hoisted into the mobile More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers using an overhead crane hoist the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle toward the first stage for matin More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers using an overhead crane hoist the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle into the tower to be mated with More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers using an overhead crane guide the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle into the tower to be mated with More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers using an overhead crane lower the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle toward the first stage for matin More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, the first and second stages of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle along with its nine solid rocket boosters are seen mated in More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers install a protective covering around the engine bell of the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle before More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers lower the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle toward the first stage for mating. The payload fairing t More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers transport the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle to NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida. There, it will be hoisted into the mobile service to More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers using an overhead crane lower the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle toward the first stage for matin More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B in Florida, workers secure the second stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle to the first stage. The payload fairing then will be ra More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft will be offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Flor More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft will be offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Flor More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A tractor-trailer will transport NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., where it will be More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft is loaded onto a tractor-trailer for transport to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., whe More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft is offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft will be offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Flor More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An Air Force C-17 cargo plane arrives on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the space agency's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or G More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft is offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An Air Force C-17 cargo plane arrives on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the space agency's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or G More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft is offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An Air Force C-17 cargo plane arrives on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the space agency's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or G More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft is loaded onto a tractor-trailer for transport to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., whe More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians lift one of two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, to a test stand in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians lower one of two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, to a test stand in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. Th More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, are atop test stands in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The twin spacecraf More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., unpack NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin spacecraft for testing and processing More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., prepare NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin spacecraft for testing and processin More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., remove the protective cover from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin spacecraft More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians begin to lift one of two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, to a test stand in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians lift one of two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, to a test stand in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., roll NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin spacecraft toward a test stand where th More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians lift one of two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, to a test stand in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., prepare NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin spacecraft for testing and processin More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians prepare to lift one of two spacecraft for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, to a test stand in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusvill More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians prepare a solar panel for attachment to NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL. The Un More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians at Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., are conducting solar panel deployment tests on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin s More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians at Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., are conducting solar panel deployment tests on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin s More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians at Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., are conducting solar panel deployment tests on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin s More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians at Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., are conducting solar panel deployment tests on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin s More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians at Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., are preparing NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin spacecraft for solar panel deploym More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians at Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., are conducting solar panel deployment tests on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, twin s More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Lockheed Martin technician (right) at Astrotech's payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida, speaks to NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (left) about NASA's Gravity Recove More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Testing of the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft is under way in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusv More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., test the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., prepare to test the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Labor More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Lockheed Martin technician in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., tests the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Testing of the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft is under way in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusv More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians oversee the lift of the protective canister housing NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft from the transporter in the Hazardou More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians prepare to move the second of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft to a workstand in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are under way to lift the second of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft to a workstand in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Astrot More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are under way to lift one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft onto a workstand in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Astrotech S More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians escort the protective canister housing NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft to the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Ast More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians examine NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft before they are moved onto workstands in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians push NASA's mylar-covered twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft toward the work area of the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at As More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians lower one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft onto a workstand in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Astrotech Sp More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The mylar covering is removed from NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Astrotech Space Operation's payload More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians push NASA's mylar-covered twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft toward the work area of the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at As More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are under way to transport the protective canister housing NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft to the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) a More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The protective canister housing NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft is lifted from around the mylar-covered spacecraft in the Hazardous Processing Facil More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians inspect the second of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft as they prepare to move it to a workstand in the Hazardous Process More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are under way to begin two days of fueling activities on NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians oversee the placement of the protective canister housing NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft on the workroom floor in the Ha More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations have begun for two days of fueling activities on NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Astrotec More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians lower the second of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory lunar spacecraft onto a workstand in the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) at Astro More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., Lockheed Martin technicians review procedures for weighing one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interio More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., Lockheed Martin technicians move a portable scale toward one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., Lockheed Martin technicians secure a portable scale to one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior La More