This image shows the L-1011 airplane with the Pegasus rocket booster and HESSI attached to its underside. This picture was taken at Cape Canaveral where the plane will take off from...
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Courtesy of NASA
HESSI Awaits Launch
News story originally written on June 14, 2001
HESSI is the name of NASA's newest satellite built to study the
Sun. HESSI stands for High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager. Those big words means that HESSI will study solar flares. Solar flares are high energy and they can have
big effects on the Earth!
HESSI's launch has been delayed. There might be a problem with the Pegasus rocket HESSI was suppose to ride to space on. On June 2nd, another Pegasus rocket went out of control and had to be blown up! So, NASA wants to make sure there isn't a problem with all of the Pegasus rockets. They are working hard to figure out if it is safe to launch HESSI.
When HESSI is ready to be launched, an airplane will carry HESSI and its Pegasus rocket booster into the air. The airplane will release the rocket which would boost HESSI to its orbit above Earth. From there, HESSI will help us study the Sun.
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