George H. Diller                                                                       August 19, 2003
Kennedy Space Center
(321) 867-2468

KSC Release No. 74-03

LAUNCH ADVISORY:
SIRTF LAUNCH RETARGETED FOR AUGUST 25

The launch of NASA’s Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) has been rescheduled to no earlier than Monday, Aug. 25, at 1:35:39 a.m. EDT.

Winter conditions in the southern hemisphere are bringing high wind and high seas delaying the arrival of a tracking and instrumentation ship in the Indian Ocean that is mandatory to support launch. This ship is used to receive data from the Delta second stage. The progress of the ship toward its support location is being monitored. Weather conditions are gradually forecast to improve over the next few days but the arrival time of the ship on station is tentative.

At KSC, the SIRTF Mission Science Briefing has been rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 22 at noon EDT and will be followed by the prelaunch press conference at 1 p.m. EDT.

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