WISE Launch Delayed 24 Hours

[baa...@earthlink.net]

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-190

WISE Launch Delayed 24 Hours
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
December 10, 2009

Liftoff of a Delta II rocket and its NASA payload, the Wide-field
Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), has been delayed 24 hours. At the
soonest, launch now will be Saturday, Dec. 12, during a launch window
that extends from 6:09:33 to 6:23:51 a.m. PST (9:09:33 to 9:23:51 a.m.
EST).

The delay allows the launch team additional time to troubleshoot a
technical issue. During final systems checks of the Delta II rocket
Wednesday in preparation for flight, an anomaly in the motion of a
booster steering engine was detected.

The weather forecast for Dec. 12 calls for thick clouds, disturbed
weather and precipitation, resulting in an 80 percent chance of
conditions preventing liftoff.

Launch and mission managers will discuss the weather and liftoff status
during meetings today. Updates to the WISE mission status will be issued
as new information becomes available.

The WISE spacecraft will circle Earth over the poles, scanning the
entire sky one-and-a-half times in nine months. The mission will uncover
hidden cosmic objects, including the coolest stars, dark asteroids and
the most luminous galaxies.

More information is online at http://www.nasa.gov/wise,
http://wise.astro.ucla.edu, and http://jpl.nasa.gov/wise.