ULA Delta II launch with SMAP scrubbed

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has been forced to scrub a rare Delta II launch on Thursday morning due to red upper level wind constraints. The venerable rocket will have to wait until Friday morning to orbit the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite for NASA in a mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, is a NASA mission to produce a global map of the moisture content in the Earth’s soil. During its planned three-year mission the spacecraft will take repeated measurements of the Earth’s surface as it orbits the planet, allowing scientists to study the distribution of water in soil around the world and its role in the water cycle. More

(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Jan 29)