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Planetary News: Mars (2004)Your Headline HereBy A.J.S. Rayl1 August 2004 The launch of MESSENGER -- the first mission to Mercury in more than 30 years -- was scrubbed today as a result of weather constraints. The mission was to have launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 2:16 a.m., local time [11:16 p.m., Sunday Pacific Daylight Time]. The plan now calls for a 24-hour turnaround with the launch slated for Tuesday, August 3, at 2:15:56 a.m., local time [11:15:56 Monday Pacific Daylight Time]. All systems were 'go' until T -4 minutes and holding, at which point the launch was cancelled because of "residuals" from Tropical Storm Alex, specifically lingering thick clouds and an anvil cloud, which formed in the upper part of the thunderstorm over the Cape. Composed mostly of ice, an anvil cloud gets its shape from the rising air in the thunderstorm that expands and spreads out as the air bumps up against the bottom of the stratosphere. Similar weather is predicted tomorrow, however, if Tropical Storm Alex moves farther away, the forecast would improve. At this time, indications are that Alex may move to northeast by tomorrow, clearing the way for launch. The launch period that began today extends for 13 days, so MESSENGER has 12 more chances to lift off and begin its seven and a half year journey to Mercury. The MESSENGER project is the seventh in NASA's Discovery Program of lower-cost, scientifically focused space missions. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), which manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science and designed, built and will operate the spacecraft. |
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