spacetoday.net: MRO launch scrubbed

Posted: Thu, Aug 11, 2005, 3:08 PM ET (1908 GMT)
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter illustration (NASA/JPL)

The launch of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft has been delayed one day because of a glitch with the satellite's launch vehicle. During the countdown to a 9am EDT (1300 GMT) launch controllers saw an anomalous reading with the hydrogen propellant loading system used for the Centaur upper stage on the Atlas V. The problem, linked to software used by the system, could not be corrected before the launch window closed, forcing the scrub. The countdown to Thursday's launch had already been delayed towards the end of its two-hour launch window because of storms that delayed launch preparations overnight. The launch has been rescheduled for Friday at 7:43 am EDT (1143 GMT), at the beginning of a two-hour window. The launch window for the mission remains open through the end of August. MRO will enter orbit around Mars and provide high-resolution imagery of the planet's surface for scientific purposes, as well as planning for future lander missions.