Atlas 5 Launch Of Pluto Mission New Horizions Delayed Five Days

OUTER PLANETS

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers in clean room suits have completed securing the New Horizons spacecraft with the third stage, or upper booster, to the Boeing STAR 48B solid-propellant kick motor. Image credit: NASA/KSC.

Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Dec 18, 2005
NASA has delayed the launch of its mission to Pluto and the Kuipers beyond until January 17 to enable additional inspections of the Lockheed Martin built EELV class Atlas 5 rocket.

According to Florida Today's Flame Trench NASA continues to push ahead with the launch campaign moving the spacecraft from its payload facility to the launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The mission must launch before February 14 otherwise wait until 2007 before the next Jupiter window opens.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will be the first spacecraft to visit Pluto and its moon Charon. No spacecraft has ever visited the planet, and not even the Hubble Space Telescope can spot details on its rocky, icy surface.

Yet with the New Horizons mission, now in development and planning for liftoff January 2006 from Launch Complex 41 at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA looks to unlock one of the solar system's last, great planetary secrets.

After launch aboard the Atlas 5, New Horizons will cross the entire span of the solar system -- in record time -- and conduct flyby studies of Pluto and its moon, Charon, in 2015. Ahead of possible further encounters with other Kuiper objects beyond in the domain of the 'outerplanets'.

OUTER PLANETS

Mysterious Deep-Space Object Raises Questions On Origin Of Solar System

Paris (AFP) Dec 13, 2005
Astronomers working in Canada, France and the United States said Tuesday they had found a small deep-space object, nicknamed Buffy, that challenges mainstream theories about the evolution of the Solar System.

SUPERPOWERS Bush Authorizes Export Of Sensitive Equipment To China Calls For Closer US Tabs On China Tech Rise China Wants To Boost Trade, Military Ties With India Walker's World: A 4x4 Coalition Emerging	NUKEWARS Iran Cannot Be Trusted With Nuclear Technology Says Rice GCC Leaders Meet Amid Calls On Iran To Drop Nucleur Plans Experts Ask US To Use Ex-Soviet Plan To End Korean Nuclear Crisis Iran Vows Destructive Response To Any Israeli Attack
MISSILE NEWS UK Must Continue To Lead The Field In Missiles Says Reid Taiwan Modifies Aircraft To Carry Anti Ship Missiles India Successfully Tests Trishul Missile India Successfully Tests Surface To Air Missile	MISSILE DEFENSE Japan Expects To Pay One Third Of Joint Missile System With US Orbital Launches OBV Missile Defense Interceptor Rocket Northrop Grumman Plays Critical Role In Missile Defense Test Boeing Leads Ground-based Midcourse Defense Flight Test
AEROSPACE USAF Declares Initial Operating Capability For F22A Raptor Jet Fighter FAA, LockMart Complete National Rollout Of New Radar Data Communications Gateway Anti-Missile Protection: Who Will Pay? US Air Force Releases New Mission Statement	UAV NEWS ADF To Be Equipped With New Long Range Tactical UAV Fleet Lockheed Martin To Build High Altitude Airship For MDA X-47B J-UCAS Team Simulates Control Of Four Attack UAVs NOAA Completes First Series Of Missions With Altair UAS
IRAQ WARS Iraq Election Sees Relative Calm Enabling High Turnout Over Day The Art Of Leaving Iraq How Spin Loses Wars US General Hails Election But Warns Insurgency Will Continue	MILTECH Harris To Provide Activity Sensors And Systems Integration Services For USCENTCOM Thales And DCN Announce French Naval Defence Alliance Elbit Systems ORCWS 25-30 Unmanned Turret System Completes Field Trials Raytheon Team Conducts Weapon System Wind Tunnel Test For The APKWS II Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement