Workers in a bucket begin the process of removing the lifting fixture and sling from NASA's Glory upper stack.

On Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers in a bucket begin the process of removing the lifting fixture and sling from NASA's Glory upper stack after it was secured in place to the Taurus XL rocket's Stage 0. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus as well as the encapsulated Glory spacecraft.

The Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket will launch Glory into low Earth orbit. 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