Tour the Plane Giving NASA’s ICON a Ride to Space
Early in the morning of Nov. 7, 2018, NASA launches the Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, a spacecraft that will explore the dynamic region where Earth meets space. ICON launches on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, which is carried aloft by the Stargazer L-1011 aircraft.
Join NASA on a behind-the-scenes tour of this plane, once a jet airliner and now uniquely retrofitted to boost spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. Learn about ICON’s science and meet the people — including an engineer, technician, and pilot — who will help launch the spacecraft into orbit.
Learn more at: nasa.gov/icon
Complete transcript available.
For More Information
See nasa.gov/icon
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Editor
- Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Host
- Karen Fox (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Talents
- Don Walter (Northrop Grumman)
- Edward Dunlap (Northrop Grumman)
- Jim Stowers (Northrop Grumman)
- Scott England (Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley)
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Producers
- Kathalina Tran (SGT)
- Sarah Frazier (SGT)
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Videographers
- Francis Michaux (ASRC Federal Data Solutions)
- Glenn Benson (ASRC Federal Data Solutions)
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Support
- Amber Jean Watson (Abacus Technology Corporation)
- Michael Justice (ASRC Federal Data Solutions)
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Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Related Pages
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ID: 12971 Produced Video
Unboxing a New NASA Spacecraft
Read moreGo behind the scenes as we unbox NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, after its arrival at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Northrop Grumman engineer Steve Turek and NASA EDGE’s Chris Giersch walk us through the whole process of unboxing a spacecraft – from the instrument that records every tiny bump on its journey to the special crane used to lift the spacecraft to its new home.ICON launches in fall 2018 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to study Earth’s interface to space. Read more about the ICON mission: nasa.gov/icon ||
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ID: 13096 Produced Video
ICON Pre-Launch Live Shots
Read moreB-roll and canned interviews will be added on Wednesday, Oct 24 by 6:00pm || ICON_WebBanner_2018.jpg (3792x597) [550.7 KB] || ICON_WebBanner_2018_print.jpg (1024x161) [101.5 KB] || ICON_WebBanner_2018_searchweb.png (320x180) [119.7 KB] || ICON_WebBanner_2018_thm.png (80x40) [6.5 KB] ||
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ID: 12947 Produced Video
Launching an ICON
Read moreThe Ionospheric Connection Explorer will explore the mysteries of where Earth meets space. || STORYCOVER_ICON_Image_Portrait16x9_1024x576.jpg (1024x576) [187.1 KB] || STORYCOVER_ICON_Image_Portrait16x9.jpg (2550x1434) [637.0 KB] || STORYCOVER_NEW_ICON_Image_Portrait.jpg (2550x3300) [707.1 KB] || STORYCOVER_ICON_Image_Portrait16x9_searchweb.png (320x180) [82.4 KB] || STORYCOVER_ICON_Image_Portrait16x9_thm.png (80x40) [5.7 KB] ||
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ID: 12910 Produced Video
ICON Launch Sequence
Read moreThe Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, will study the frontier of space: the dynamic zone high in our atmosphere where Earth weather and space weather meet. In fall 2018, the mission launches on an Northrop Grumman (formerly Orbital ATK) Pegasus XL rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ||
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ID: 12699 Produced Video
Meet ICON: NASA’s Airglow Explorer
Read moreMusic credit: Design Principle by Wayne RobertsComplete transcript available. || iss_composite_test_182.jpg (4256x2832) [12.8 MB] || iss_composite_test_182_searchweb.png (320x180) [99.0 KB] || iss_composite_test_182_thm.png (80x40) [6.2 KB] || LARGE_MP4-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__large.mp4 (1920x1080) [148.3 MB] || NASA_TV-12699_ICON_Overview_V2_.mpeg (1280x720) [494.2 MB] || APPLE_TV-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__appletv.m4v (1280x720) [75.3 MB] || YOUTUBE_1080-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__youtube_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [234.8 MB] || PRORES_B-ROLL-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__prores.mov (1280x720) [1.9 GB] || YOUTUBE_HQ-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__youtube_hq.mov (1920x1080) [539.3 MB] || 12699_ICON_Overview_V2_.mov (1920x1080) [3.7 GB] || LARGE_MP4-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__large.webm (1920x1080) [16.3 MB] || APPLE_TV-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__appletv_subtitles.m4v (1280x720) [75.3 MB] || 12699_ICON_Overview_V2.en_US.srt [2.4 KB] || 12699_ICON_Overview_V2.en_US.vtt [2.5 KB] || NASA_PODCAST-12699_ICON_Overview_V2__ipod_sm.mp4 (320x240) [25.4 MB] || 12699_ICON_Overview_V2__lowres.mp4 (480x272) [20.3 MB] ||
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ID: 20265 Animation
ICON Beauty Pass
Read moreBeauty pass showing ICON observing the ionosphere. Credit: NASA/GSFC/CIL || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [87.7 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_web.png (320x180) [74.1 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_searchweb.png (320x180) [74.1 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_thm.png (80x40) [6.0 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.mov (1920x1080) [304.3 MB] || AirGlow_final_H264.mov (1920x1080) [19.5 MB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_60p/ (1920x1080) [64.0 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.webm (1920x1080) [1.0 MB] ||
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