Mars Orbiter Launch Delayed

Mictian writes "NASA's newest Mars probe, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), was originally scheduled to be launched from Kennedy Space Center Wednesday morning atop an Atlas 5 rocket. However a potential problem with the Atlas' Redundant Rate Gyro Units (RRGUs), that are part of the vehicle's flight control system, detected at Lockheed Martin's factory has caused the engineers to make sure that the two RRGUs in MRO's rocket are working, thus delaying the launch at least until Thursday morning. There is a 1.5 hour launch window daily until the end of the month."

Comments

Late Breaking News:

[TripMaster Monkey]

Today elation swept across our fair world when it was revealed by the Council that the invaders from the evil blue planet have been stymied in their latest efforts to despoil our perfect planet.

K'Breel, Speaker for the Council, was on hand to address the jubilant masses:

"Gentle Citizens, today I stand before you with my gelsacs swollen with pride. Today I reveal to you that our wise and powerful Council, not being content to merely defend our world against the constant antagonism by the filthy inhabitants of the evil blue planet, have struck a blow agains the aggressors on their own horrid soil! Utilizing our superior technology, we have caused irreperable damage to one of their loathsome machines while it still squatted on the noisome loam of the evil blue planet! All glory to the Council!"

During the question-and-answer session that followed, when asked by a citizen whether rumours were true that the device damaged was only a minor inconvinence to the sickening inhabitants of the evil blue planet, and that in all probability the craft would be launched within a day, K'Breel ordered the citizen's summary execution. The remainder of the question-and-answer session passed in a remarkably subdued manner.

Overheard

[American AC in Paris]

Mission Controller 1: What about the R.R.G.O.U.S.'s?
Mission Controller 2: Redundant Rate Gyros Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.
R.R.G.O.U.S: GRAAAAAAAAAAARRGGGHHHH!

Re:Its just a minor delay

[RandoX]

ESL, I hope.

Spheroid Earth and Launch Windows

[Anonymous Coward]

The 1.5 hours is because of the optimum time for launching to Mars due to the earth's rotation right? Darn scientists! If they'd stuck to the flat earth model we'd not have to worry about all this launch window mumbo-jumbo.

Mod Gyroscopes...

[kjones692]

-1, Redundant.

you have to be kidding me?

[deft]

"All glory to the Council!"

They got the iraqi information minister?