![]() ![]() Actually, the third stage will spin on a turntable attached to the second stage.Īfter the third stage "spin up", the second stage is jettisoned. Small rockets are used to make the third stage spin about its long axis. Once the vehicle is at the correct point in its orbit, the second stage will be restarted for a brief second burn.īefore the third stage's rocket is fired to get the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and on its way to Mars, it has to be "spun up". Depending on the actual launch date and time, the vehicle will then coast for several minutes. The second-stage burn ends about 10 minutes after liftoff. Mars Exploration Rover Second Stage Engine Cutoff (SECO) The metal shell (fairings) covering the spacecraft is discarded shortly after second stage ignition. The engine is restartable, and will perform two separate burns during the launch. One stage down, two more to go!įollowing main engine cutoff, the second stage is fired. ![]() The central first stage continues to burn for over 4 and a half minutes.Īlmost 5 minutes after liftoff the first stage shuts itself off (main engine cutoff) and is discarded (first stage separation). Mars Exploration Rover Prior to Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) The final three rocket boosters are then ignited, and then jettisoned when their fuel is spent. Three of the six solid rocket strap-ons will be discarded first, and the other three strap-on boosters will be jettisoned one second later, while the first stage continues to burn. The third stage uses solid rocket fuel.Īs each stage's rocket is fired, and its fuel supply is exhausted, it is discarded.īurnout and Jettison of Solid Rocket MotorsĪ little over a minutes after liftoff the 6 solid rocket "strap-ons" are discarded and fall into the ocean. The first two stages use liquid rocket fuel. Liftoff will take place from Space Launch Complex 17 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida. The Boeing Delta II launch vehicle consists of three stages stacked on top of each other, plus 9 small solid-fuel rockets strapped to the outside of the first stage.Īt the very top of this "stack" is the spacecraft, inside a protective metal shell. View the entire animation of the mission including Launch and Cruise Entry, Descent and Landing and Surface Operations. These computer generated scenes depict a simulated Mars Exploration Rover launch. ![]()
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