Two satellites aiming to probe the secrets of Earth鈥檚 cloud cover were finally launched by NASA on Friday.
A Boeing Delta II rocket carrying the CloudSat and CALIPSO satellites blasted off at 0302 PDT (1002 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US.
Launches have been scrubbed daily for the past seven days due to technical or weather problems. NASA was limited in part because the mission had a very narrow 1-minute launch window.
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鈥淭here is not much margin to get the satellites in the exact orbit we want,鈥� said NASA spokesman Bruce Buckingham. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an instantaneous launch window 鈥� either you go or don鈥檛 go.鈥�
A space shuttle flight usually has a 10-minute launch window, while other missions can have launch windows of several hours, he said.
CloudSat and CALIPSO will probe the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere with instruments that will provide a new, 3D perspective on clouds and airborne particles, called aerosols.
Their findings will reveal how these factors affect water supply, climate, weather and air quality around the world. See our preview of the mission, here.
