The THEMIS spacecraft is secure inside a protective cover for its transfer to Launch Complex 17 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., the THEMIS spacecraft is secure inside a protective cover for its transfer to Launch Complex 17 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. On Launch Pad 17-B, the spacecraft will be mated with the third stage of the Delta II rocket. THEMIS consists of five identical probes, the largest number of scientific satellites ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission is to investigate what causes auroras in the Earth's atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of color. Discovering what causes auroras to change will provide scientists with important details on how the planet's magnetosphere works and the important Sun-Earth connection. THEMIS is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta II rocket on Feb. 15 during a window extending from 6:08 to 6:27 p.m. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller