NASA launches STEREO spacecraft

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Thursday, October 26, 2006

Launch of STEREO atop a Delta 7925-10L (Delta II) rocket.

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.

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