Posted: Wed, Mar 24, 2004, 3:50 PM ET (2050 GMT)
NASA announced Wednesday that it has delayed the launch of the MESSENGER Mercury mission two and a half months to give the project more time to complete launch preparations, a decision that will delay the spacecraft's insertion into orbit around the planet by nearly two years. The spacecraft, which had been scheduled to launch on a Delta 2 Heavy from Cape Canaveral on May 11, is now scheduled for launch no earlier than July 30, at the beginning of a launch window that runs through August 13. According to a NASA status report the delay was caused by several factors, including the need to conduct additional testing of spacecraft fault-protection software and provide for a "more comfortable" schedule for overall spacecraft processing. MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) is NASA's first Mercury orbiter mission and the first mission to the innermost planet of any kind since Mariner 10 performed several flybys of the planet thirty years ago. The launch delay will also delay MESSENGER's arrival at the planet significantly. Had the spacecraft launched in May, it was scheduled to enter orbit around Mercury in July 2009 after making flybys of the planet in October 2007 and July 2008. Now, according to the project web site, MESSENGER will perform flybys in January 2008, October 2008, and September 2009 before entering orbit in March 2011.

Related Links:

•  NASA/KSC ELV status report for March 24, 2004
•  MESSENGER web site