The Delta II first stage is being mated to the solid rocket boosters for launch of the Dawn spacecraft.

Next to the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II first stage is being mated to the solid rocket boosters for launch of the Dawn spacecraft. Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch 4.5 billion years ago by investigating in detail two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta. They reside between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. Launch is targeted for July 7. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann