CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan. 17 (UPI) -- NASA officials postponed Tuesday's scheduled launch of the New Horizons spacecraft and its 10-year mission to Pluto because of windy conditions.
The space probe was originally scheduled for launch at 1:15 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral.
Technical problems and wind conditions forced the lift-off to be delayed until 1:45 p.m., then 2:10 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 2:50 p.m., 3:05 p.m. and 3:23 p.m. Winds exceeding a preset limit of 37.9 miles per hour (33 knots) finally forced a postponement to 1:16 p.m. EST Wednesday.
Launched on an Atlas V rocket, New Horizon is to be the fastest manmade object ever sent into space, traveling during its mission at speeds of more than 10 times that of a bullet -- reaching a maximum speed of about 10 miles a second.
The spacecraft is to conduct a fly-by study of Pluto and its moon, Charon, in 2015.
