I'm watching live NASA coverage of the planned launch of the New Horizons mission to Pluto - the first probe to be sent to the furthest planet from the sun. A journey that will take over 9 years even though this is the fastest spacecraft ever built, reaching the moon's orbit in just 9 hours compared to the 3 days that it took the Apollo astronauts in the 60's.
This is NASA's third attempt at launching. The first was made on Tuesday when the launch was aborted at 20:23 GMT (3:23 EST) due to wind speeds exceeding safe limits at the launch pad. Yesterday's attempt was aborted due to a fault.
Hopefully today's launch will go ahead although the launch time has been put back to 18:25 (1:25 EST) due to the cloud cover being to heavy. The countdown is currently at T-4 minutes and holding.
Update 1 (18:13)...
A revision to the launch time has just been made and is now at 18:30 GMT (1.30 EST).
Update 2 (18:26)...
Another revision has just been made and T-0 is now scheduled for 18:40 GMT (1:40 EST). Holdup remains the level of cloud cover which should be scattered, not broken. Countdown remains at T-4 minutes and holding.
Update 3 (18:36)...
Just heard that the launch time of 18:40 GMT is a no-go due to heavy cloud re-appearing even though it looked for a moment that the cloud cover had improved. New T-0 is 18:50 GMT (1:50 EST).
Update 4 (18:48)...
Revised T-0 is now 19:00 GMT (2:00pm EST). This is still assuming that the cloud cover problem is resolved.
Update 5 (18:55)...
This is looking like the best chance yet. At T-4 minutes and holding, check lists are being run through with the aim of releasing the hold at 18:56 GMT.
Update 6 (19:04)...
I'm going to run through the progress as live in this update and post it on launch/hold.
1856 - Weather fronts are Green. Hold released. T-4 minutes and counting.
1857 - T-3 minutes and counting. All is green and good to go.
1858 - T-2 minutes and counting.
1858 - Launch sequence start. Vehicle on internal power. T-1:50.
1859 - T-1 minute and counting.
1859 - T-20 seconds.
1859 - 11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - Ignition and lift off of NASA's New Horizons mission using the Atlas V Rocket, to visit Pluto and beyond. A journey that will take over 9 years, swinging by Jupiter on the way. Travel speed between 28,000-30,000MPH.
Update 7 (19:12)...
So it's finally lifted off, two days late. I was thinking on Tuesday when waiting for the launch the first time, I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that all space missions I've noticed have launched or arrived at their destinations in January? The Mars Rover missions arrived at the Red Planet in January 2004, the NASA/ESA Huygens probe was arrived at Saturn's moon Titan in January 2005 and today the New Horizons probe launches. Probably just a coincidence though.
Roll on 2015 when it finally arrives at Pluto!
This is NASA's third attempt at launching. The first was made on Tuesday when the launch was aborted at 20:23 GMT (3:23 EST) due to wind speeds exceeding safe limits at the launch pad. Yesterday's attempt was aborted due to a fault.
Hopefully today's launch will go ahead although the launch time has been put back to 18:25 (1:25 EST) due to the cloud cover being to heavy. The countdown is currently at T-4 minutes and holding.
Update 1 (18:13)...
A revision to the launch time has just been made and is now at 18:30 GMT (1.30 EST).
Update 2 (18:26)...
Another revision has just been made and T-0 is now scheduled for 18:40 GMT (1:40 EST). Holdup remains the level of cloud cover which should be scattered, not broken. Countdown remains at T-4 minutes and holding.
Update 3 (18:36)...
Just heard that the launch time of 18:40 GMT is a no-go due to heavy cloud re-appearing even though it looked for a moment that the cloud cover had improved. New T-0 is 18:50 GMT (1:50 EST).
Update 4 (18:48)...
Revised T-0 is now 19:00 GMT (2:00pm EST). This is still assuming that the cloud cover problem is resolved.
Update 5 (18:55)...
This is looking like the best chance yet. At T-4 minutes and holding, check lists are being run through with the aim of releasing the hold at 18:56 GMT.
Update 6 (19:04)...
I'm going to run through the progress as live in this update and post it on launch/hold.
1856 - Weather fronts are Green. Hold released. T-4 minutes and counting.
1857 - T-3 minutes and counting. All is green and good to go.
1858 - T-2 minutes and counting.
1858 - Launch sequence start. Vehicle on internal power. T-1:50.
1859 - T-1 minute and counting.
1859 - T-20 seconds.
1859 - 11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - Ignition and lift off of NASA's New Horizons mission using the Atlas V Rocket, to visit Pluto and beyond. A journey that will take over 9 years, swinging by Jupiter on the way. Travel speed between 28,000-30,000MPH.
Update 7 (19:12)...
So it's finally lifted off, two days late. I was thinking on Tuesday when waiting for the launch the first time, I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that all space missions I've noticed have launched or arrived at their destinations in January? The Mars Rover missions arrived at the Red Planet in January 2004, the NASA/ESA Huygens probe was arrived at Saturn's moon Titan in January 2005 and today the New Horizons probe launches. Probably just a coincidence though.
Roll on 2015 when it finally arrives at Pluto!