Messenger Mercury Launch No Earlier Than July 30

SKY NIGHTLY

Messenger will be one of the hottest missions ever

KSC - Mar 25, 2004
A decision has been made to reschedule the launch of NASA's Messenger spacecraft - the first designed to orbit the planet Mercury-to no earlier than July 30. The launch opportunity extends until Aug. 13, 2004.

Several factors led to NASA's decision to move the launch from its original May 11 date, including a desire to include more testing of Messenger's fault-protection system software.

This allows the spacecraft to check its own health and, when necessary, switch between alternative backup systems. This will also create some additional time for the test team to complete final assembly and checkout affording a more comfortable spacecraft processing schedule.

The spacecraft will continue its processing activities at the Astrotech Space Operations facilities near Kennedy Space Center. The stacking of the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle at Pad 17-B is being rescheduled for mid-June.

Messenger has been built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

SKY NIGHTLY

Lunar And Planetary Friends Gather Round

Huntsville - Mar 22, 2004
Every few years or so, something wonderful happens: all five naked-eye planets appear in the evening sky at the same time. You can walk outside after dinner, and without any kind of telescope, see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter.

SPACE TRAVEL Europe And Russia: A 15-Year Partnership In Human Spaceflight The Bush Space Initiative: Fiscal Nightmare or... Fiscal Nightmare? Space Adventures Scouting Potential Locations For Sub-Orbital Spaceport Outsourcing ESA's Corporate Information System Infrastructure	MARSDAILY Analysis: Mars water discoveries loom huge Iron Blueberries Living Off The "Land" Critical To Long Term Lunar And Martian Habitation Opportunity Finds Evidence Of Ocean Shore Line
LAUNCH PAD NASA Looks To Department Of Energy For Nuclear Space Tech Support The Making Of An Ariane 5 Launch ILS To Launch NRO Mission as First Atlas V Flight from Upgraded Pad ILS, Alcatel Sign Contract to Launch WORLDSAT 3 Satellite	EARTH OBSERVATION Land Cover Changes Affect U.S. Summer Climate DigitalGlobe Unveils Plans for Next-Generation Spacecraft Constellation Geoenvironmental Researchers To Join Technium Ozone-Destroying Gas Increased Significantly During Industrial Age
OUTER PLANETS Gravity Rules: The Nature of Planethood Enigma Of Uranus Solved At Last Latest Kuiper Belt Object Could Be Biggest Yet The Colorful Lives Of The Outer Planets	STELLAR CHEMISTRY Smart-1 Eclipse Period Over NASA's New Vision Inspires Students In Great Moonbuggy Race Interstellar Hydrogen Shadow Observed For The First Time Three-Ton Science Experiment To Cruise South Pole Skies For Cosmic Rays
MOON DAILY Armstrong Reflects On A New Visions For Space Exploration Sunny lunar mountain good site for base Lunar Convoys As An Option For A Return To The Moon NASA Planning Steps To Moon, Mars	GPS NEWS Boeing Delta II Deploys 50th GPS Satellite European Parliamentarian McNally Urges Support For Space GPS 2R-11 Satellite Dedicated to Ivan A. Getting TrimTrac Wins Best Bang For The Buck Awarded In GPS Vehicle Tracking

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