NASA's IBEX Spacecraft Prepared for Launch with Pegasus XL Rocket Image

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft is being prepared for launch with the mated Pegasus XL rocket being attached to the Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 aircraft at Vandenberg Air Force Base. IBEX will be launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on October 19th. Once dropped from the aircraft, the Pegasus rocket will carry it approximately 130 miles above Earth's surface, placing it in orbit. IBEX will create the first map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. This visual can be used for topics concerning space exploration, NASA missions, aerospace engineering, and scientific advancements in understanding our Solar System.