Aug 25 1997
From The Space Library
NASA launched an unpiloted Delta rocket carrying the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), a US$ 100 million solar-observatory satellite bound on a 1 million-mile (1.6 million-kilometer) journey. The launch took place one day later than expected because, on the original launch date, a commercial fishing boat had come within range of the launch danger zone. Scientists launched ACE toward an imaginary point 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from Earth and 92 million miles (148 million kilometers) from the Sun, a point at which scientists believe that the gravity of the Earth and Sun balance each other. NASA planned for ACE to orbit for as long as five years, analyzing particles streaming from the Sun. In keeping with NASA's focus on improved efficiency, NASA engineers collaborated with the Boeing Company to build ACE and launch the mission, at a cost of US$200 million-more than US$30 million under budget.
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