NASA launches STEREO spacecraft
From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
NASA's STEREO spacecraft has been successfully launched atop a Delta II (7925) rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft will be placed into a Heliocentric orbit (around the Sun), and will monitor solar phenomena, such as Solar Flares. It was the 121st launch of a Delta II rocket, and the 119th success.
The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) consists of two nearly identical solar observatories. These will enable stereoscopic observation of solar flares in 3-D and will provide warnings of emissions from the Sun that might affect satellites in Earth orbit.
Launch occurred at 00:52 GMT.
Sources
- Justin Ray. "Mission Status Center" — Spaceflight Now, October 25, 2006
- "STEREO MISSION NEWS" — NASA, October 25, 2006

