NASA and United Launch Alliance are gearing up for the planned launch Friday of a Delta II rocket and a robotic planet-hunter, and officials say no major problems are being worked in advance of the terminal countdown."Great Friday night for people to watch a launch from the beach," said Kennedy Space Center spokesman George Diller.
The 12-story Delta and its payload -- NASA's Kepler spacecraft -- are scheduled to launch at 10:49 p.m. EST Friday from Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
There will be two, three-minute launch windows: 10:49 p.m. through 10:52 p.m. and 11:13 p.m. through 11:16 p.m.
The weather forecast looks great. Air Force meteorologists say there is a 95 percent chance conditions will be acceptable for launch.
Click here for the Launch Weather Forecast.
The final countdown to the launch will pick up at 7:48 p.m. EDT and you can watch live NASA TV coverage here in The Flame Trench beginning at 9 p.m. EST.
We'll also send text message alerts on the status of the launch. Sign up here to receive those alerts on your cell phone.
Check out James Dean's most excellent story on the unprecedented mission here: Kepler Looks For ET's Home.
The Air Force is asking mariners and aviators to steer clear of a launch danger zone off the coast of Cape Canaveral and restricted airspace around the launch site.
Click here for a map of the Launch Hazard Area off the coast of Cape Canaveral.
Click here for a map showing Restricted Airspace around the launch site.
You can follow along with the countdown the official United Launch Alliance Kepler Mission Booklet It contains information on countdown activities and the flight of the Delta II rocket.
Click here to download and save NASA's official Kepler Press Kit
Click here for NASA's Kepler Fact Sheet
For a look at other missions coming up, take a look at our new Florida Today Space Coast Launch Schedule.
ABOUT THE IMAGE: Click to enlarge and save the NASA photo, which shows workers encapsulating the Kepler spacecraft within the payload fairing of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. You can also click the enlarged image to get an even bigger, more detailed view. The workers are watching on as the second half of the protective nosecone is moved into the mobile service tower so it can be placed around the spacecraft. Kepler is designed to survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy to determine the number of sun-like stars that have Earth-size planets in a "habitable zone," a region where liquid water, and perhaps life, could exist. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller.
1 comment:
"tickety-boo"? George... Is that a technical term? If the skies are clear it should be a great show Friday night. An appetizer for the shuttle (maybe) next week.
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