{}              {HASH(0x81076bc)

{author}        National Aeronautics and Space Administration

{date}          02-Aug-2004

{description}   KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Framed by a blue hazy sky and bluer
                Atlantic Ocean, the Boeing Delta II rocket with the Mercury
                Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER)
                spacecraft aboard is ready for launch on a seven-year journey to
                the planet Mercury. This is the second launch attempt in two days
                after the first attempt Aug. 2 was postponed due to lightning
                potential from residual clouds that were associated with Tropical
                Storm Alex. The launch of MESSENGER is rescheduled for this date
                at 2:15:56 a.m. EDT at the opening of a 12-second launch window.
                MESSENGER will fly by Earth, Venus and Mercury several times to
                burn off energy before making its final approach to the inner
                planet on March 18, 2011. MESSENGER was built for NASA by the
                Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel,
                Md.

{highres}       3008 x 2000

{highsize}      830591

{hightype}      JPEG

{keywords}      NASA,KSC,Kennedy Space Center

{lowres}        320 x 212

{lowsize}       77727

{lowtype}       GIF

{mediumres}     1024 x 680

{mediumsize}    103278

{mediumtype}    JPEG

{number}        KSC-04PD-1622

{slideres}      120 x 108

{slidesize}     15500

{slidetype}     GIF

{tinyres}       100 x 66

{tinysize}      8288

{tinytype}      GIF

{title}         KSC-04PD-1622

{type}          Image

{end}