On May 18, Volga-Dnepr transported an Atlas 5 rocket booster to Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a scheduled mission to Mars.
The AN-124-100 ‘Ruslan,’ is the only aircraft large enough to carry the Atlas 5, and flew the 32-meter long rocket booster, from Huntsville, Ala., to its final launch location. In addition to the over-length piece, Volga-Dnepr also transported payload fairings and RD-180 engines for the special mission.
After unloading the unique cargo piece from the aircraft, ULA moved the rocket into the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center for post-shipment checks.
The high profile delivery signaled the start of a new phase of launch preparations for the Perseverance Rover, the centerpiece of NASA’s $2.5 billion Mars 2020 mission.
The launch is scheduled at 9:10 a.m. on July 17.
