[meteorite-list] Dawn Mission Rescheduled for September Launch

[Ron Baalke]

July 7, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington 
202-358-1726

RELEASE: 07-150

NASA MISSION TO ASTEROID BELT RESCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER LAUNCH

WASHINGTON - The launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft, a mission that will 
explore the two largest objects in the asteroid belt in an effort to 
answer questions about the formation of our solar system, has been 
rescheduled to September. 

The decision was made Saturday to move the launch to September after 
careful review by NASA's Science Mission Directorate officials, 
working with Dawn mission managers, the Dawn principal investigator, 
and with the concurrence of the NASA Administrator. 

Primary reasons for the move were a combination of highly limited 
launch opportunities for Dawn in July and the potential impact to 
launch preparations for the upcoming Phoenix Mars Lander mission, set 
for early August. A September launch for Dawn maintains all of the 
science mission goals a July launch would have provided. 

NASA will hold a news briefing at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 9, to 
preview the launch of the Phoenix Mars Lander. Prior to the Phoenix 
presentations, media will have the opportunity to learn in more 
detail about the rescheduled Dawn launch. The briefing will originate 
from the NASA Headquarters auditorium, 300 E St., S.W., Washington. 
It will air live on NASA Television and be streamed online at: 

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

The Phoenix mission, scheduled for liftoff in early August from Cape 
Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., will examine whether the icy soil 
on Mars could have been a habitable environment for microbial life. 

For more information about the Phoenix mission, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix

For more information about Dawn, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/dawn

	
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