Universe Today
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Check out our gallery of more thrilling
launch photos of NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft
departing Earth on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9:08 a.m. EDT from Pad 17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Although
GRAIL's liftoff
was delayed a few days by excessively high upper level winds, it was well worth the wait and put on a spectacular show as the booster thundered away from Space Launch Complex 17. This Delta II rocket was almost certainly the last ever Delta to blastf off from the Florida Space Coast.
[caption id="attachment_88894" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Blastoff of Delta II Heavy rocket and twin spacecraft on Sept. 10 from Pad 17B at Cape Canaveral at 9:08 a.m. EDT. View from Press Site 1. Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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The
GRAIL spacecraft
continue to function well at the start of their nearly four month journey to the Moon wher they will map the moon gravity in unprecedented detail and provide new insight into the formation and evolution of the rocky bodies of the inner Solar System.
[caption id="attachment_88909" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Sept. 10 Blastoff of Delta II and GRAIL gravity mappers. Credit: Ken Kremer (kenkremer.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88895" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Sept. 10 Blastoff of Delta II and GRAIL gravity mappers. Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88908" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Sept. 10 Blastoff of Delta II and GRAIL gravity mappers. Credit: Ken Kremer (kenkremer.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88896" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Sept. 10 Blastoff of Delta II and NASA's GRAIL spacecraft. Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88912" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Sept. 10 Blastoff of Delta II and GRAIL gravity mappers. Credit: Ken Kremer "]
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[caption id="attachment_88897" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88898" align="aligncenter" width="464" caption="Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88899" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88900" align="aligncenter" width="464" caption="Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88901" align="aligncenter" width="386" caption="Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)"]
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[caption id="attachment_88913" align="aligncenter" width="386" caption="GRAIL and Delta II rocket soar to space on Sept 10 from Pad 17B at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer (kenkremer.com)"]
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NASA GRAIL Launch Images
Read Ken's continuing features about GRAIL
GRAIL Twins Awesome Launch Videos – A Journey to the Center of the Moon
NASA launches Twin Lunar Probes to Unravel Moons Core
GRAIL Unveiled for Lunar Science Trek — Launch Reset to Sept. 10
Last Delta II Rocket to Launch Extraordinary Journey to the Center of the Moon on Sept. 8
NASAs Lunar Mapping Duo Encapsulated and Ready for Sept. 8 Liftoff
GRAIL Lunar Twins Mated to Delta Rocket at Launch Pad
GRAIL Twins ready for NASA Science Expedition to the Moon: Photo Gallery