launch of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

From NASA:

The launch of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is targeted for 6:03:32 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It is an instantaneous launch window. Coverage will begin at 5 p.m. on NASA Television and the agency’s web. There is a 90 percent chance for favorable launch weather and upper level winds are predicted to be much more favorable than on Tuesday.

Watch live on NASA TV starting at 5:00 p.m. ET:http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Today’s launch opportunity is the final one before a “Moon Blackout” that begins Thursday and ends on Feb. 19. Because DSCOVR is traveling to deep space, the moon’s location on Feb. 12 through 19 would be close enough to DSCOVR to affect the spacecraft’s trajectory. This would require performing mid-course correction burns that would use more fuel than what is planned for the mission. After today, the next launch opportunity would be on Friday, Feb. 20, at 5:43:44 p.m. EST.

DSCOVR is a partnership between NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Air Force. The observatory will maintain the nation’s solar wind observations, which are critical to the accuracy and lead time of NOAA’s space weather alerts, forecasts, and warnings. Space weather events like geomagnetic storms caused by changes in solar wind can affect public infrastructure systems, including power grids, telecommunications systems, and aircraft avionics. DSCOVR will succeed NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in supporting solar observations and provide 15- to 60-minute warning time to improve predictions of geomagnetic storm impact locations.

For countdown updates beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, visit: https://blogs.nasa.gov/dscovr/

For more information on the DSCOVR mission, visit:http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/DSCOVR/