spacetoday.net: Swift spacecraft launched

Updated: Sat, Nov 20, 2004, 6:17 PM ET (2317 GMT)
Originally Posted: Sat, Nov 20, 2004, 1:01 PM ET (1801 GMT)
Swift spacecraft illustration (NASA)

A Delta 2 rocket launched NASA's Swift astronomy spacecraft Saturday afternoon. The Delta 2 7320 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 12:16 pm EST (1716 GMT), six minutes later than planned when launch preparations fell slightly behind schedule. Swift separated from the Delta 2 about 80 minutes after launch, having been placed in a 600-kilometer orbit around the Earth. The launch had been planned for Wednesday, but pushed back several days to correct a problem with a range command received-decoder on the launch vehicle. Swift's mission is to detect gamma-ray bursts, reorientating itself to study those bursts with its onboard telescopes within seconds of their detection. On-orbit checkout of the spacecraft is expected to take about a month, after which Swift will begin its science mission.