MEDIA ADVISORY: Gravity Probe B launch scrubbed, rescheduled for tomorrow

Today's launch of the Gravity Probe B experiment has been canceled due to high shear winds. The launch has been rescheduled for tomorrow, April 20, at 9:57 a.m., from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California.

Background

A 41-year-old, $700 million project will culminate with a NASA launch of a Stanford experiment on Tuesday, April 20, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Gravity Probe B will test with the greatest accuracy to date Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.

The launch also can be viewed at Stanford. Cubberley Auditorium is equipped with a large screen video projector. Three separate video signals will be fed as a composite to distribution amplifiers for TV and a multbox for radio. They include:

1) NASA TV, which will provide launch coverage from Vandenberg, with commentary by George Diller of Kennedy Space Center.

2) A special NASA feed from the cameras mounted on the second- stage rocket. These are expected to show spacecraft separation, as well as solar array deployment, from the point of view of the receding second stage.

3) A feed from a stationary camera from Mission Control Operations Center, which is located at Stanford.

Doors open at 8:45 a.m. at Cubberley Auditorium, which is located on Lasuen Mall.

John Mester, technical member of the GP-B staff, and Bob Kahn, GP-B public affairs coordinator, will talk about aspects of the mission and answer questions.

Editor Note:

Launch status updates are available at: http://einstein.stanford.edu/

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