spacetoday.net: WISE launch postponed

Posted: Fri, Dec 11, 2009, 7:31 AM ET (1231 GMT)
WISE spacecraft illustration (NASA)

The launch of a NASA astronomy satellite has been delayed until Monday to correct a problem with its launch vehicle. The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft was scheduled for launch Friday morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, but the launch was postponed when a problem was detected with the movement of a steering engine on its Delta 2 launcher. The launch was postponed first to Saturday, and then to Monday, to give technicians enough time to replace a faulty component on the vehicle. Weather forecasts made it unlikely the rocket could have launched on Saturday regardless of the problem, but forecast to be better on Monday. WISE is designed to perform a full sky survey at infrared wavelengths, observing objects ranging from nearby asteroids to distant galaxies.