New delay in launch of satellite to study ozone layer

WASHINGTON (AFP) Jul 13, 2004
NASA announced Tuesday a new delay in the launch of the Aura satellite, which will study Earth's atmosphere, especially the ozone layer.

The new launch time is 1002 GMT Wednesday, at Vandenberg airbase in California.

Launch has been pushed back from mid-June by a variety of technical problems.

Tuesday's countdown was halted by trouble with a data recorder. Sunday's launch was scrubbed because of a problem in the Boeing Delta II rocket.

Scientists hope Aura will provide insight into Earth's atmosphere, climate change and regional differences in air quality.

Britain, the Netherlands and Finland contributed 785 million dollars to build equipment for the US mission.

The nearly 3,000-kilo (6,500-pound)-probe will orbit the Earth at an altitude of 700 kilometers (450 miles).

SPACE.WIRE