September launch for Nasa mission

A science probe making Nasa's first foray into the asteroid belt missed its summer launch window, jeopardizing Nasa's first attempt to orbit two bodies with a single spacecraft, officials said yesterday.

The Dawn spacecraft was originally scheduled to fly on June 20 but assembly of the Boeing Delta 2 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was delayed after a crane failure.

Then the spacecraft needed minor repairs to one of its solar wing panels.

The mission was rescheduled for Saturday, but poor weather at the launch site delayed rocket fuelling and then an airplane needed to help track the spacecraft after lift off developed mechanical problems.

Unable to get firm commitments for launch dates later in the month, due to previously scheduled missions at Cape Canaveral, Nasa gave up for the summer and reset Dawn's liftoff for September.

"A September launch for Dawn maintains all the science goals," said Nasa spokesman George Diller.