Windy weather has temporarily delayed today's launch of two new lunar probes that are designed to make detailed studies of the inside of the moon and its gravitational field.
NASA's twin Grail spacecraft were scheduled to lift off at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT) today (Sept. 8) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, but upper-level winds in the area caused the agency to stand down.
A second launch opportunity is available at 9:16 a.m. EDT (1316 GMT) this morning, but if the weather conditions do not improve, NASA officials may be forced to hold off until tomorrow. Still, current predictions do not show significant weather improvements until the weekend. [Photos of NASA's Grail Moon Gravity Mission]
NASA has a 42-day window to launch the Grail spacecraft that extends through Oct. 19, agency officials have said.
The $496 million Grail mission will study the lunar interior from crust to core, and will map the moon's gravitational field in unprecedented detail. The three-month expedition is expected to help scientists better understand the composition and evolutionary history of Earth's natural satellite. [Video: Grail's Mission to Map Moon Gravity]
Observations from the twin Grail probes are also expected to shed light on how other large, rocky bodies in the inner solar system formed.
You can follow SPACE.com staff writer Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
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