Launch Delayed for Mars Orbiter

Thursday, August 11 2005 @ 01:14 PM EDT

NASA News Briefs and Releases BBSNews 2005 Compiled by Kandy Ringer

NASA'S MARS ORBITER LAUNCH DELAYED 24 HOURS NASA via BBSNews - 2005-08-11 -- The launch of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been postponed. The new launch window is 7:43 to 9:43 a.m. EDT, Friday, August 12. NASA's next mission to mars will examine the red planet in unprecedented detail from low orbit and provide more data about the intriguing planet than all previous missions combined. Credit: NASA The image shown above in its full size is available here. More NASA images are available in BBSNews NASA Photos. The delay was called after engineers saw an anomalous reading in the hydrogen propellant loading system on the Atlas V. There was insufficient time in the launch window to fully investigate the reading. The Atlas V vehicle is being de-tanked. The rocket will remain on the launch pad, and the MRO spacecraft is secured. Tomorrow's weather forecast calls for a chance for isolated coastal showers. There is a 20 percent probability of not meeting the launch weather criteria. On launch day, August 12, the KSC News Center will open at 4:30 a.m. EDT. Foreign national news media should meet at Gate 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 5 a.m. to be escorted to the KSC Press Site. NASA TV live coverage of the launch begins at 5:15 a.m. EDT. For information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on the Web, visit NASA MRO. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: NASA Home. ###

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