Delta rocket stage erected

The first stage of a Delta 2 rocket that will hurl a NASA solar science spacecraft into orbit this summer now is poised atop a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Slated for launch on July 22 for pad 17B, the Boeing rocket will carry NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, also known by the acronym STEREO. The initial launch window for the spacecraft extends through Aug. 6.

The spacecraft will spend two years studying coronal mass ejections, which are violent explosions on the surface of the sun. The eruptions and resulting solar wind create bursts of solar wind that can disrupt satellite and radio communications on Earth and trigger problems with electrical power grids. They also result in energetic particles that are hazardous to spacecraft electronics systems as well as astronauts working in low Earth orbit.

The mission is a joint effort of the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland and the European Space Agency.

Image note: Click to enlarge this image of the Delta 2 first stage being erected last Friday at Launch Complex 17B. It was taken by photographer Jim Grossmann.