It took three attempts is as many days, but NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has successfully launched on its nine-year mission to the planet Pluto.
At 2:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) on Jan. 19, 2006, the New Horizons probe launched into space atop a Lockheed Martin-built Atlas 5 rocket, which flung the spacecraft 36,350 miles per hour (58,338 kilometers per hour) on a mission to the outer edges of our solar system.
Poor weather, including winds and severe storms, prevented two earlier launch attempts earlier this week, but the third time proved to be a charm for New Horizons.
Below is a blow-by-blow account of how the day's launch unfolded beginning with the most recent update:
UPDATE: 4:25 p.m.
EST
New
Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern
said that the ashes of the U.S. astronomer who discovered
Pluto are accompanying NASA's mission to the distant planet.
"I
want to point out what a great honor it is to have Clyde's window [and family]
here with us," Stern said of Patsy Tombaugh, whose husband Clyde
Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930 using the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff
Arizona. "Some of Clyde's ashes are on the way to Pluto today."
Tombaugh
died on Jan. 17, 1997, Stern has said.
Glen
Fountain, New Horizons project manager at Johns Hopkins University's Applied
Physics Laboratory (APL), said plans are in place for two maneuvers - one 10
days after launch and the second 20 days after liftoff - to refine New
Horizons' trajectory.
Mission
managers will begin planning for the Jupiter encounter in the fall, Fountain
said.
This
concludes SPACE.com's live
coverage of NASA's New Horizons launch. A wrap up story of today's space shot
is available here.
UPDATE: 4:10 p.m.
EST
NASA's
post-launch press conference for its New
Horizons mission to Pluto is underway.
"The
United States has a spacecraft on its way to Pluto, the Kuiper Belt and on to
the stars," said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern during the
conference. "I have July 14, 2015 emblazoned on my calendar."
New
Horizons will spend more than nine years flying toward Pluto and is expected to
fly past Jupiter early next year.
Ground
stations received the first signals from the spacecraft at about 2:50 p.m. EST
(1950 GMT), with all telemetry indicating good health, mission managers said.
The probe's radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), which converts heat
from decaying plutonium dioxide into power, is generating about 180 watts and
will build up to 240 watts soon, they added.
UPDATE: 2:57 p.m.
EST
NASA will
hold a press conference in about one hour to discuss the successful launch of
its New
Horizons probe bound for the planet Pluto and beyond.
"The
vehicle looks to be right where it needs to be," NASA launch manager Omar
Baez, said after the launch. "It was Mother Nature that was holding us
back earlier, but we got through it."
Today's
launch marked the third attempt by NASA to loft New Horizons toward Pluto.
High wind
speeds at the probe's launch pad at Complex 41 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida forced launch officials to call
off a space shot just minutes before liftoff on Tuesday. Nature revealed
its ugly side again on Wednesday, when severe storms in Maryland prevented
a Florida launch when they knocked out power at New Horizons' mission control
center at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. The laboratory
is managing the mission for NASA.
About the
size of a grand piano, New Horizons is the first spacecraft ever destined to
visit the planet Pluto. The probe should fly past the Moon at about 11:00 p.m.
EST (0800 Jan. 20 GMT) before heading toward a Jupiter flyby in early 2007.
Check back
here for live coverage of NASA's post-launch press conference. A wrap up story
of today's launch is available here.
UPDATE: 2:45 p.m.
EST
NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft has successfully separated from its third stage booster
and begun the nine-year trek to the planet Pluto.
Flying at a
speed of about 36,000 miles per hour, New Horizons is NASA's fastest mission
launched to date. The probe should pass the Moon's orbit in about nine hours
and is destined to reach Jupiter early next year.
If all goes
well, New Horizons should turn its seven instruments toward Pluto in July 2015.
UPDATE: 2:42 p.m.
EST
After two
successful burns, the Centaur upper stage for NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft has shut down.
The stage
successfully separated from New Horizons' Star 48B third stage, which then fired
its own engine to propel the spacecraft toward Pluto.
New
Horizons is slated to separate from the Star 48B stage at about 2:47 p.m. EST
(1947 GMT), according to its flight plan.
UPDATE: 2:32 p.m.
EST
The Centaur
upper stage attached to NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft has successfully restarted its engine for the second of
two planned burns.
UPDATE: 2:15 p.m.
EST
NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft has completed the first of two planned burns with its
Centaur upper stage and is in a coast phase for the next 16 minutes.
Currently
in a parking orbit, New Horizons will fire its Centaur stage engine once more
at about 2:32 p.m. EST (1932 GMT).
UPDATE: 2:06 p.m.
EST
NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft has reached space and begun the first of two planned
burns with its Centaur upper stage. This burn will last just over five minutes.
UPDATE: 2:00 p.m.
EST
Launch! NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft and its Atlas 5 rocket have launched from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station on the first mission to Pluto.
Liftoff
took place at 2:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT).
About one
minute and 33 seconds after liftoff, the booster's five strap-on rockets are
expected to separate, followed by jettison of the protective fairing shrouding
New Horizons about three minutes and 23 seconds into the flight. It should take
the Atlas 5-New Horizons combo about four minutes to reach space and separate
from its first stage.
The first
of two planned burns of the Centaur upper stage is planned for four minutes and
43 seconds after launch.
UPDATE: 1:56 p.m.
EST
The
countdown is ticking away once more at T-4 minutes and counting for a 2:00 p.m.
EST (1900 GMT) launch of NASA's New Horizons probe bound for the planet Pluto.
UPDATE: 1:47 p.m.
EST
The launch
of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is now set for 2:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT),
delayed almost one hour from the opening of its flight window earlier today.
Thick cloud
cover over the probe's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch site has
continuously thwarted the launch of New Horizons and its Atlas 5 booster.
UPDATE: 1:45 p.m.
EST
Flight
controllers have added an extra five minutes to the current countdown hold as
low cloud cover continues to delay the planned launch of NASA's Pluto-bound New
Horizons spacecraft.
The
earliest the probe can launch atop its Atlas 5 booster is 1:55 p.m. EST (1855)
GMT, though the target is not set in stone, NASA officials said.
Today's
launch window for New Horizons runs just about two hours, closing at 3:07 p.m.
EST (2007 GMT).
UPDATE: 1:32 p.m.
EST
Cloud cover
over the launch site for NASA's New Horizons Pluto probe appears to again be a
problem for today's planned space shot.
An Atlas 5
rocket was set to launch New Horizons spaceward at 1:40 p.m. EST (1840 GMT) in
a space shot to be staged from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A new launch time is expected shortly.
"Just
when we thought the weather had cleared we are now in the a 'No-Go
status," NASA spokesperson Bruce Buckingham said.
Today's
launch window for New Horizons runs through 3:07 p.m. EST (2007 GMT).
UPDATE: 1:25 p.m.
EST
Low clouds
continue to dog flight controllers for today's New Horizons launch. The clouds
could obscure launch camera views of the planned liftoff, NASA officials said.
A new
launch time has been set for 1:40 p.m. EST (1840 GMT). Today's launch window
stretches through 3:07 p.m. EST (2007 GMT).
UPDATE: 1:13 p.m.
EST
Flight
controllers have set a new launch target of 1:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT).
UPDATE: 1:05 p.m.
EST
Launch
range officials reported that they were 'No-Go' for today's on-time launch due
to the cloud ceiling above the New Horizons launch site.
The launch
is now set for 1:25 p.m. EST (1825 GMT), about 17 minutes later than initially
planned. Today's launch window runs until 3:07 p.m. EST (2007 GMT).
"We
have a cloud ceiling that is borderline," NASA spokesperson Bruce
Buckingham said. "The broken cloud deck is in violation [of launch
rules]."
UPDATE: 12:53 p.m.
EST
Broken
cloud cover over the launch pad for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is the only
issue facing flight controllers for today's planned space shot, weather
officials said.
New Horizons
can launch in scattered clouds, though not heavier broken clouds, NASA
spokesperson Bruce Buckingham said.
Current
projections call for broken clouds over Launch Complex 41, where New Horizons
and its Atlas 5 booster stand poised for launch, at the opening of today's
launch window at 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT). Conditions should ease to scattered
clouds during the one-hour and 59-minute launch window, with only a 20 percent
chance of violating launch rules, weather officials said.
"There
is a definite trend for the better, which could let us launch on-time at the
opening of the window," Buckingham said.
Today's
launch window closes at 3:07 p.m. EST (2007 GMT).
The
countdown is paused at T-4 minutes for a planned 10-minute hold.
UPDATE: 12:45 p.m.
EST
Launch
preparations are on schedule for NASA's Pluto-bound New
Horizons probe.
With less
than 15 minutes remaining in the countdown, all systems appear go for today's
launch at 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT). A final weather briefing is expected at
about 12:50 p.m. EST (1750 GMT), as well as a planned 10-minute hold in the
countdown at T-minus 4 minutes, NASA officials said.
Unlike
Tuesday's launch attempt, high wind speeds have not been a problem so far in
today's lauch attempt.
UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.
EST
Fueling
operations for NASA's New
Horizons mission to Pluto are now complete with less than 30 minutes
remaining in the countdown for launch.
Weather
conditions continue to be optimal for today's planned 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT)
launch.
"It
looks like we will have an on-time launch," NASA spokesperson Bruce
Buckingham said.
An Atlas 5
rocket is set to launch New Horizons, a seven-instrument probe about the size
of a grand piano, spaceward at about 36,000 miles per hour, fast enough to pass
the Moon's orbit in nine hours, NASA officials said, adding that the flight is
the fastest ever to fly for the space agency.
Today's
countdown is the third launch attempt in as many days for New Horizons. High
winds and a power
outage at the mission's Maryland-based control center prevented earlier
attempts.
UPDATE: 12:15 p.m.
EST
Less than
one hour remains in the countdown for NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft, which sits poised atop a Lockheed Martin-built Atlas 5
booster at Launch Complex 41 of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Weather
conditions continue to look good for today's planned space shot, which is
slated for 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT). Fueling of the Atlas 5 rocket nears
completion as flight officials prepare for the spaceflight.
New
Horizons is NASA's first spacecraft bound to explore the planet Pluto, its
moons and the distant Kuiper Belt objects beyond. The spacecraft's lauch window
extends through 3:07 p.m. EST (2007 GMT) today.
UPDATE: 12:00 p.m.
EST
Fueling is
underway of the Atlas 5 rocket set to launch NASA's New
Horizons Pluto probe from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station later today.
The Centaur
upper stage of New Horizon's 200-foot tall rocket has been filled with liquid
oxygen needed for launch and its first stage booster is currently being fueled
with the supercold materal, NASA officials said. Liquid hydrogen is also being
pumped into the Centaur stage, they added.
The rocket
is on track for today's planned launch at 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT).
UPDATE: 10:45 a.m.
EST
All systems
appear go for today's launch of NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape
Canaveral, Florida.
The
countdown clock is at T-2 hours and holding as flight controllers and engineers
prepare the Pluto-bound spacecraft for launch. Liftoff of the probe and its
Lockheed Martin-built Atlas 5 rocket is currently scheduled for 1:08 p.m. EST
(1808 GMT), though the space shot has a launch window that extends until 3:06
p.m. EST (2006).
Today is
the third consecutive launch attempt for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. High
winds at the probe's Complex 41 launch site prevented
a Tuesday launch attempt. A Wednesday launch attempt was foiled by a power
outage in Maryland, where sever stormed knocked out electricity at the New Horizons
mission control center at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics
Laboratory.
Weather
officials predict and 80 percent chance of favorable launch conditions today,
NASA officials said. The potential for low-lying clouds are the only weather concern,
they added.
Currently,
all systems and conditions are green for launch, with no technical issues under
study, NASA spokesperson Bruce Buckingham said.
Launch
officials expected to begin fueling New Horizons' at about 11:00 a.m. EST (1600
GMT).
NASA's New
Horizons spacecraft is about the size of a grand piano and carries seven
primary instruments to study Pluto, its moon system and Kuiper Belt object. It
is expected to arrive at Pluto in 2015, marking the first probe to the distant
planet.
UPDATE: 8:23 a.m.
EST
NASA
officials are hoping that the third time is a charm as they prepare to launch
the Pluto-bound New
Horizons probe from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The spacecraft's
launch has been delayed twice in two consecutive days this week, once due to high
winds and again due to a power
outage at the probe's mission operations center.
New
Horizons is now set to launch on Jan. 19 at 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 GMT), though it
has a launch window that extends for one-hour and 59 minutes.
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