The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology DART spacecraft is on a work stand waiting for processing activities.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft is on a work stand waiting for processing activities. The spacecraft was developed for NASA by Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, Va., to prove technologies for locating and maneuvering near an orbiting satellite. DART will be launched on a Pegasus launch vehicle. At about 40,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean, the Pegasus will be released from Orbital’s Stargazer L-1011 aircraft, fire its rocket motors and boost DART into a polar orbit approximately 472 miles by 479 miles. Once in orbit, DART will rendezvous with a target satellite, the Multiple Paths, Beyond-Line-of-Site Communications satellite, also built by Orbital Sciences. DART will then perform several close proximity operations, such as moving toward and away from the satellite using navigation data provided by onboard sensors. DART is scheduled for launch no earlier than Oct. 18.