| The
launch of NASA’s Aura spacecraft, the latest in
the Earth Observing System (EOS) series, has been rescheduled
for no earlier than July 8, 2004. During testing of the
Delta II launch vehicle on the pad at Space Launch Complex
2, a helium leak was observed in the second stage fuel
tank shutoff valve. It must be removed and replaced, and
this work will be done tomorrow. The associated retesting
will be complete on Tuesday, June 15.
The
spacecraft is at the Astrotech payload processing facility
located on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and
is ready to go to the launch pad, now rescheduled to occur
on June 18. The spacecraft’s batteries are being
charged during the interim.
The
Flight Program Verification, an integrated test involving
the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle and the Aura spacecraft
is scheduled to occur on June 24. The Flight Readiness
Review is planned for July 1.
Aura’s
four state-of-the-art instruments will study the dynamics
of chemistry occurring in the atmosphere. The spacecraft
will provide data to help scientists better understand
the Earth’s ozone, air quality and climate change.
The
EOS Aura satellite, instruments and science investigations
are managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Md. Government oversight of launch preparations
and the countdown management on launch day is the responsibility
of the NASA Launch Services Program based at John F. Kennedy
Space Center. The launch service is provided to NASA by
Boeing Launch Services.
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