Spaceflight Now | Delta Launch Report | Mission Status Center

The Mission

		Rocket: Delta 2 (7925H) Payload: MESSENGER Date: August 3, 2004 Time: 0615:56 GMT (2:15:56 a.m. EDT) Site: SLC-17B, Cape Canaveral, Florida Satellite feed: AMC 6, Transponder 5, C-band Mission preview story Launch events timeline Daily launch windows Ground track map

The Payload

		NASA's MESSENGER probe will become the first reconnaissance spacecraft to orbit our solar system's innermost planet -- Mercury. Mercury fast facts MESSENGER instruments and systems Overview of science objectives

The Launcher

		Boeing's workhorse Delta 2 rocket has flown more than 100 times, launching military, scientific and commercial satellites. Delta 2 fact sheet Archived Delta coverage

The Venue

		Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 17 is the East Coast home of Delta 2. Learn more

Spaceflight Now +

		Premium video content for our Spaceflight Now Plus subscribers. MESSENGER preview Mission officials and scientists preview the flight of NASA's MESSENGER space probe to orbit the planet Mercury during this news conference. (41min 36sec file) Play video Become a subscriber More video

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BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Boeing Delta 2-Heavy rocket with NASA's MESSENGER probe that will orbit Mercury. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

Read our earlier status center coverage.