Smap Spacecraft

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare to lift the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, from a transportation trailer in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Air For More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers lower a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, onto a hardware dolly in the Building 836 high bay on s More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to move a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, onto a transportation cradle in the Building 836 high bay More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers rotate a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in a lifting device in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Air Force Ba More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers move a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, across the floor of the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Air Force Base in More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers attach a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, to an overhead crane to lift it from a transportation More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare to lift a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, from a transportation trailer in the Building More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The lid is removed from the transportation trailer containing a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in the More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, hovers above its hardware dolly in the Building 836 high bay on south Vandenberg Air Force More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The lid is lifted from the transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers rotate a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in a lifting device in the Building 836 high bay on so More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers move a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, from a hardware dolly toward a transportation cradle in the Building 836 high More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers lower a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, onto a hardware dolly in the Building 836 high bay on s More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, arrives in the Building 836 high bay on south Vandenberg Air Force More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A worker steadies the lid of the transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in the Building 836 high bay on Vande More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, glides across the floor of the Building 836 high bay on south Vandenb More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The lid is removed from the transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, secured to a lifting device, glides across the floor of the Building 836 high bay on Vanden More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers hoist the lid off the transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenbe More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers lift a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, from a transportation trailer in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Air F More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare to rotate a section of the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, in a lifting device in the Building 836 high bay on Vandenberg Ai More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The half sections of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, are delivered to the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is lifted into a vertical position during preparations to hoist it in More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is attached to a crane during preparations to hoist it into the envir More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is stowed in the environmental enclosure at the top of the mobile ser More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, rolls out of the Horizontal Integration Facility bound for the nearby More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is hoisted toward the environmental enclosure at the top of the mobil More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is placed into position in the environmental enclosure at the top of More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is hoisted past the Delta II first stage on its way to the environmen More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is transferred into the environmental enclosure at the top of the mob More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is hoisted to the top of the mobile service tower at Space Launch Com More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is hoisted up the side of the mobile service tower at Space Launch Co More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparations are underway to transport a half section of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, from the Horizontal Integratio More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The half sections of the 10-foot-diameter fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, arrive at the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Va More

Workers prepare to offload NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft from the truck that delivered it from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to the Astrotech payload processi More

Workers push the pallet supporting the transportation container protecting NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft into the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in More

Workers are standing by to assist with the offloading of NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft from the truck that delivered it from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to More

Workers push the pallet supporting the transportation container protecting NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft into the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in More

The transportation container protecting NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft is offloaded from the truck that delivered it from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to the More

Operations are underway to offload NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft from the truck that delivered it from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to the Astrotech payload More

The truck transporting NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 73 More

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft is delivered by truck to the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 config More

A forklift is moved into place to assist with the offloading of NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft from the truck that delivered it from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Californ More

Workers replace the protective covering around NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft following the spacecraft's post-shipment inspection in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vanden More

The protective covering has been replaced around NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft following the spacecraft's post-shipment inspection in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vand More

Workers inspect NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft after its protective covering is removed in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during a More

Preparations are underway to remove the protective covering from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California More

Workers prepare to inspect instrument and optics covers on NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during More

Workers inspect instrument and optics covers on NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during a post-shi More

Workers remove the protective covering from around NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during a post- More

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft comes into view as the protective covering is removed in the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during a po More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians remove a protective covering from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians remove a protective covering from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians rotate NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft to begin processing. SMAP w More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians begin processing of NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. SMAP will lau More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians prepare a component of NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft for a lift More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians mount NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft on a work platform. SMAP wil More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, processing has begun on NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, an engineer inspects NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. SMAP will launch on a Delta II 7320 co More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians use a crane to move NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. SMAP will lau More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians use a crane to move NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. SMAP will lau More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians have rotated NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft to begin processing. More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians inspect NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft. SMAP will launch on a Del More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians wearing protective garb, monitor operations as a crane lifts a component of NASA's Soil Moi More

Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, engineers and technicians rotate NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, spacecraft to begin processing. SMAP w More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers place a transportation canister around NASA's SMAP spacecraft so it can be taken from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for place More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft arrives at Space Launch Complex-2 from the Astrotech processing facility for placement atop a Delta II rocket for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Ph More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Technicians and engineers begin lifting NASA's SMAP spacecraft to the top of a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF

VANDENBERG AFB, California – A convoy assembles to take NASA's SMAP spacecraft from the Astrotech processing facility to Space Launch Complex-2 for placement atop a Delta II rocket for launch. For more, go to w More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The transportation canister is removed from around NASA's SMAP spacecraft after positioning the satellite atop a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go t More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft is positioned atop a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The transportation canister is removed from around NASA's SMAP spacecraft after positioning the satellite atop a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go t More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The transportation canister is removed from around NASA's SMAP spacecraft after positioning the satellite atop a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go t More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft is hoisted to the top of a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft is positioned atop a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft is hoisted to the top of a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 for launch. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The payload fairing is moved into place around NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The payload fairing is moved into place around NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California, as the payload fairing is prepared for attachment to the rocket to prote More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Detail of mission and NASA logos at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA's SMAP spacecraft. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The payload fairing is moved into place around NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The payload fairing in place over NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA's SMAP space More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: USAF

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The payload fairing is moved into place around NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – The payload fairing is moved into place around NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA More

VANDENBERG AFB, California – NASA's SMAP spacecraft inside the service structure at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

VANDENBERG AFB, California – Detail of mission and NASA logos at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg AFB, California - the launch site for NASA's SMAP spacecraft. For more, go to www.nasa.gov/smap Photo credit More