spacetoday.net: NASA clears SIRTF for launch

Posted: Sun, Aug 24, 2003, 12:02 PM ET (1602 GMT)
SIRTF illustration (NASA/JPL/Caltech)

NASA announced late Saturday that it was proceeding with Sunday night's launch of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) spacecraft. The Delta 2 Heavy carrying SIRTF is scheduled for launch at 1:35:39 am EDT (0535:39 GMT) Monday from Cape Canaveral. There were concerns of another launch delay after engineers found problems with electrical components similar to those on the Delta on the pad. Although the components on the booster are inaccessible for testing, managers decided that it is unlikely the problems found in the factory could have been replicated with those on the booster, and cleared the way for launch. A tracking ship needed for the launch is scheduled to reach its position in the Indian Ocean by Sunday evening, in time for the launch; weather delayed its arrival, forcing a two-day delay in the launch. SIRTF is the last of NASA's four original "Great Observatories", providing infrared observations to complement data from other telescopes at other wavelengths.