Workers guide the Stage 0/1 interstage as it is lowered by crane into launch position at Space Launch Complex 576 E.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers guide the Stage 0/1 interstage, part of the four-stage Taurus XL rocket that will carry NASA's Glory spacecraft into low Earth orbit, as it is lowered by crane into launch position at Space Launch Complex 576-E.

Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Launch is scheduled for 5:09 a.m. EST Feb. 23. For information, visit www.nasa.gov/glory. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB