Weather delays MESSENGER launch
Posted: Mon, Aug 2, 2004, 8:12 AM ET (1212 GMT)
The launch of NASA's MESSENGER mission to Mercury was delayed by 24 hours early Monday because of weather. The spacecraft was scheduled to lift off atop a Delta 2 from Cape Canaveral at 2:16 am EDT (0616 GMT), but the launch was scrubbed because of the potential of lightning from clouds in the area associated with a tropical storm. The launch has been rescheduled for the same time Tuesday; the forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather. MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space, Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) is NASA's first Mercury orbiter mission and only the second spacecraft to travel to the planet. MESSENGER will enter orbit around the innermost planet in March 2011 after several flybys of the Earth and Venus as well as Mercury.
The launch of NASA's MESSENGER mission to Mercury was delayed by 24 hours early Monday because of weather. The spacecraft was scheduled to lift off atop a Delta 2 from Cape Canaveral at 2:16 am EDT (0616 GMT), but the launch was scrubbed because of the potential of lightning from clouds in the area associated with a tropical storm. The launch has been rescheduled for the same time Tuesday; the forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather. MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space, Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) is NASA's first Mercury orbiter mission and only the second spacecraft to travel to the planet. MESSENGER will enter orbit around the innermost planet in March 2011 after several flybys of the Earth and Venus as well as Mercury.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, November 6
Space assets ‘critical’ in future wars, Canada's space division chief says
Japan Times — 6:50 am ET (1150 GMT) South Korea Set to Join Space Data Center Race
BusinessKorea — 6:50 am ET (1150 GMT) New Zealand plans space mission, satellite fleet: minister
AFP — 6:49 am ET (1149 GMT) Blue Origin plans second launch of New Glenn mega-rocket on November 9
TechCrunch — 6:49 am ET (1149 GMT) Blue Origin Targets New Glenn Flight 2 For Nov. 9
Aviation Week — 6:48 am ET (1148 GMT) |
