[ExI] Dawn launch (24 hour delay to Sunday)

[Amara Graps]

(new status)

Given the thunderstorms in the area, and that the launch vehicle is not
sufficiently cool today to begin to load the fuel and  oxidizer, the
launch has been delayed 24 hours to Sunday, ~4pm EST. That first opportunity
will last ~30 minutes. The next two opportunities will follow on sequential
days: July 9, and July 10, at about the same time. If Dawn has not launched
by July 10, then there will be a stand-down of a few days while the launch
team at Cape Canaveral works on the Phoenix mission spacecraft, to reduce the
impact to their launch window, and while different ships for post-launch
tracking move into position. Then Dawn opportunities will pick up again
on July 14, and continue until July 19, if necessary.

You can watch the launch over the web:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/


-- 

Amara Graps, PhD      www.amara.com
Associate Research Scientist, Planetary Science Institute (PSI), Tucson
INAF Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (IFSI), Roma, Italia