Wind Delays Saturn-Bound Craft’s Launch
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Wind strong enough to carry rocket debris down the coast forced NASA on Monday to postpone the launch of Cassini, the Saturn-bound spacecraft powered by 72 pounds of plutonium.
Last-minute computer problems with the spacecraft and ground equipment contributed to the delay.
NASA said it would try again Wednesday.
“I love it!” protester Kevin Marsh said. “They call it the winds. I call it the hand of God.”
Marsh was the only demonstrator in sight when the countdown was halted before dawn. His comrades were long gone. They had fled, fearing a launch accident would cause plutonium to rain down, despite NASA’s assurances that everything would be safe even if the rocket blew up.
If NASA had launched the 18-story, 2-million-pound Titan 4B rocket, and if it had exploded at just the right moment, the 100 mph wind more than 7 miles up would have blown rocket debris down the Florida coast, said Air Force Capt. Scott Jacobs.
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