The New Horizons Pluto Mission was due to lift off tonight, but had to be cancelled because of the weather. Hopefully, it will lift off tomorrow night. If you’re interested, you can watch a live webcam of the launch on the website.
Looking around the site, I found the transcript of an interview with Venetia Phair, who named Pluto. She comes across as a rather lovely, sweet old lady:
Interviewer: When you look back at your life, isn’t it exciting that there you were an 11 year old school girl who named this planet, and we’ve come so far technologically that now we can send a spacecraft all this distance in the solar system to this planet Pluto?
VP: Yes, it is absolutely amazing, but it is paralleled by almost everything that has happened in the world, hasn’t it. I mean we have stepped so far into the future as it were since the 1920’s and 1930’s. It leaves one absolutely stunned……
Interviewer: … on behalf of NASA we really thank you for your enthusiasm and all you’ve done to help advance the exploration and discovery of the universe around us.
VP: Well that’s very nice of you. I have my kind invitation from NASA, and I treasure that too. I shall put it on the mantelpiece, I think, conspicuously, to look at. And I just wish everybody concerned with the launch that the whole thing will be the success that they hope.
I doubt i could be half as sweet and charming as this woman, when I am in my eighties.