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IBEX is go! - October 20, 2008

ibex launch.jpgNASA’s IBEX mission successfully launched on Sunday, sending the Interstellar Boundary Explorer safely on its way to the edge of our solar system.

Sadly this image seems to be the best NASA could produce of the launch. It allegedly shows the moment the Pegasus rocket carrying IBEX was dropped from the ‘Stargazer’ aircraft responsible for the initial lifting. After this the Pegasus carried the mission to 60 miles up where IBEX’s own rocket motor took over.

Nature’s Ashley Yeager previewed the mission last Friday and her story can be read here.

Image: NASA

Posted by Daniel Cressey on October 20, 2008
Categories: Space and astronomy | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Comments

A few seconds later into the same video you can see the rocket dramatically racing through the field of view and into space - and then a long-distance IR camera on Kwajalein picked it up and followed it for several minutes through clouds. Given the remoteness of the drop zone I was thrilled by the amount of live video available.

Posted by: Daniel Fischer | October 20, 2008 02:46 PM

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