#av067

OSIRIS-REx launches to Bennu! A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 rocket blasts off carrying the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission. P/C: For All Mankind

An interesting feature of the Atlas V used in today's launch of OSIRIS-REx is the fact it only has one solid rocket motor. Since a booster of this specific thrust isn't required very often, the Atlas V 411 configuration has only flown three times - 2006, 2008, and 2011. It generates more than 1.2 million pounds of thrust at liftoff; 860,000 from the RD-180 engine on the core stage and 379,600 from the single solid rocket motor. Atlas V stands 191 feet tall and 12 feet wide. The vehicle for OSIRIS-REx, AV-067, is the 65th Atlas V rocket to be launched and the 111th flight by United Launch Alliance. P/c: ULA

P/c: ULA/NASA

P/c: Dante Lauretta.

T-29 days (August 11) - Atlas V for OSIRIS-REX begins stacking. AV-067 was erected upon its Mobile Launching Platform earlier this week, beginning construction of the launch vehicle for OSIRIS-REx. The 106.6 foot tall Atlas V Common Booster Core will be joined by the Centaur Upper Stage and single AJ-60A Solid Rocket Motor later this week. OSIRIS-REx is undergoing final checkouts at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, and will be mated to the vehicle August 29. The rocket arrived at Cape Canaveral August 4 on the Delta Mariner, ULA’s rocket transport ship. P/c: Dante Lauretta (OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator.)

T-35 days (August 4) OSIRIS-REx Atlas V arrives at Cape. With little more than a month remaining until launch, the Atlas V launch vehicle for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission arrived at Cape Canaveral earlier this week. Arriving at Port Canaveral via the Delta Mariner, the rocket was transported nine miles to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center, where it will undergo initial checkouts and inspections. In about two weeks, the rocket will be transported to the Vertical Integration Facility, where it will be installed on the Mobile Launch Platform and integrated with the Centaur Upper Stage and OSIRIS-REx payload. OSIRIS-REx arrived at the Florida spaceport May 21, while the two halves of the Atlas V 400-series payload fairing arrived at the ASOC on July 25. The Centaur Upper Stage arrived July 21. Atlas V will be flying in its 411 configuration, sporting one AJ-60A Solid Rocket Motor, single-engine Centaur Upper Stage, and a four-meter payload fairing.