SPACE.com -- Hot Bird 6 Installed Atop First Atlas 5 Rocket

The first Atlas 5 rocket stands fully assembled in its integration building at Cape Canaveral after its Hot Bird 6 spacecraft was installed on Aug. 9, 2002.

The payload for the first Atlas 5 mission arrived at Cape Canaveral's complex 41 in the early morning hours of Aug. 9, 2002.

Encapsulated in its nose cone, the fully-fueled Hot Bird 6 spacecraft is carefully attached to the top of the first Atlas 5 rocket.

The Next Generation of Launch Vehicles

Atlas 5, Delta 4 Get Ready for First Flights

Atlas 5 First Flight Delayed While Awaiting More Tests


	Hot Bird 6 Installed Atop First Atlas 5 Rocket By Jim Banke Senior Producer, posted: 06:30 pm ET 09 August 2002

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Eutelsat Hot Bird 6 spacecraft set to fly on the inaugural Atlas 5 mission was loaded atop its booster early Friday at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's launch complex 41.

The milestone means that the Lockheed Martin launch team now has a fully assembled rocket all-but-ready to fly.

"Now that we have the payload on top this is real. We're really going to do this," said Adrian Laffitte, director of Atlas launch operations at the Cape. "I think everybody is fired up and ready to go."

Liftoff remains targeted for Aug. 21, but several hurdles still remain including one big test set for next Tuesday, Aug. 13.

That's when an Integrated Systems Test will be conducted to completely check that all of the connections between the rocket and its satellite cargo are working as expected.

"It will be the final validation of the entire integrated stack, from the bottom of the vehicle to the top of the spacecraft," Laffitte said.

The test is scheduled to last just a day but an extra day was built into the plan in case the exercise -- which has never been done before with this new booster -- runs long.

From there the launch team will begin final closeouts and inspections, which Laffitte said will keep the team busy right up until it's time to move the rocket to its pad the day before the planned liftoff.

For several weeks this summer the Atlas 5 launch was targeted to fly on Monday, Aug. 12, but an unidentified concern with the direct broadcast TV satellite delayed the flight to Aug. 21.

The Alcatel-built spacecraft remained at its processing hangar at Astrotech in Titusville until early Friday morning when it was trucked over to the Cape through the Kennedy Space Center. The satellite was then lifted by crane and placed atop its Centaur upper stage.

Commercially marketed by International Launch Services, the Atlas 5 is Lockheed Martin's contribution to the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program that is designed to lower the cost of getting into orbit by using more efficient, more powerful and more reliable boosters.

Boeing's Delta 4 -- targeted for its first launch in October -- also is part of the EELV program.

	BP There’s energy security in energy diversity.

	One-stop destination for the lowest domestic airfares Search all airlines, including Southwest now!

	HP ProLiant Servers The HP portfolio of servers-leading technology that respects the bottom line. Powerful ProLiant technology at a price that's worth a second look.