Posted: Mon, Dec 19, 2005, 7:12 AM ET (1212 GMT)
The launch of New Horizons, a NASA mission to Pluto, has been postponed nearly a week to allow extra time to inspect the spacecraft's launch vehicle. New Horizons is now scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, six days later than planned. NASA officials said the launch was delayed to give Lockheed Martin more time to inspect a propellant tank on the Atlas 5 rocket that will launch the spacecraft; the tank is similar to one that Lockheed experienced undefined problems with earlier this year. New Horizons' launch window extends through February 14, although project officials hope for a launch early in the launch window to allow for the spacecraft to fly past Pluto in 2015. the launch delay has not affected other aspects of mission preparation, including the move of the spacecraft to the launch vehicle assembly building early Saturday.

Related Links:

•  Florida Today article
•  Washington Post article
•  NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle status report
•  Spaceflight Now mission status center