[Launch Alert] Launch Rescheduled

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                         kd6nrp at earthlink.net
                     http://www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                2009 December 6 (Sunday) 06:17 PST
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                    Launch Scheduled for Dec. 11;
             Flight Readiness Review to Reconvene Sunday
                           2009 December 4

Launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is scheduled for Dec. 11*.
Launch and mission managers held a Flight Readiness Review on Friday
and will reconvene at Vandenberg on Sunday to assess the "Go" for the
propellant load of second stage on Monday. 

The scheduled Launch Readiness Review and press conferences will move
two days forward to Wednesday, Dec. 9. 

Launch Weather forecast is less than favorable this week with a front
moving in. The biggest concern for launch day is precipitation and
thick cloud rule violation.

The WISE spacecraft will circle Earth over the poles, scanning the
entire sky one-and-a-half times in nine months. The mission will
uncover hidden cosmic objects, including the coolest stars, dark
asteroids and the most luminous galaxies.


The above material was republished from:

  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html


Editor's Comments:

1. The date of this launch was apparently determined by the Delta
   IV/WGS 3 launch from Florida. The Delta IV and II are both Boeing
   vehicles and launch team logistics and scheduling probably
   figured into this.

2. The exact launch window is 06:09:33-06:23:51 PST.

3. The launch window occurs during dawn. However, it may occur too
   long before sunrise for the Delta's exhaust to be illuminated by
   the Sun at high altitude.

4. Thick clouds may be a concern because of the potential for
   electrostatic discharge as the Delta passes through the clouds.

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