NASA puts Mars craft launch on hold
Posted on: Thursday, 11 August 2005, 08:59 CDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - NASA on Thursday postponed the launch of its next Mars probe due to a problem with sensors on the spacecraft's Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket.
Liftoff of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was rescheduled for Friday between 7:43 and 9:43 a.m. EDT.
Thursday's launch was first delayed by overnight rain that forced the launch team to postpone fueling of the Atlas booster.
Then, shortly before the end of two-hour launch window, the flight was canceled for the day to resolve a problem with sensors in the rocket's upper-stage booster and software that controls vehicle fueling, said NASA launch director Chuck Dovale.
The spacecraft is a sophisticated orbiter scheduled to arrive at Mars in March for a four-year mission. The orbiter's primary goal is to search for signs of past water and scout for landing sites for future rover missions and eventual human expeditions.
Source: REUTERS
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