Video: Delta 4-Heavy tower rollback

Weather forecasters will watch for isolated rain showers and gusty winds that could delay Thursday’s launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Orion space capsule on its first flight into orbit.

NASA, Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance officials hold the L-2 day countdown status briefing following the launch readiness review on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The Trump administration is proposing $19.1 billion for NASA in its fiscal 2018 budget blueprint, a 0.8 percent decrease from 2017 funding levels, focusing on deep space exploration, both human and robotic, and increased public-private partnerships to lower costs and encourage private sector innovation.