18 November 2013 , And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

Cassi Creek:  We watched the line of severe weather move in from the west yesterday afternoon.  When we crawled off to bed at midnight the line was still active, still producing watches, warnings, and advisories.  At some point to our west, the line broke up or weakened enough that we heard only 3-4 brief periods of heavy rain and little or no wind.

          Today, NASA plans to launch the MAVEN mission to mars.  They intend to drop another robot that is designed to look for evidence of prior atmosphere and water, collecting data that, it is hoped, will tell us why Mars became a dead planet.  The launch is scheduled to be streamed beginning at 1100 EST. 

MAVEN Launch Updates

·         MAVEN Launch Day Arrives

November 18, 2013 - 7:35 AM EST

Countdown clocks at the Atlas Space Operations Center on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are counting down to the liftoff of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Launch is set for 1:28 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 41. Forecasters from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather during the two-hour launch window. The main concerns are for cumulus clouds, disturbed weather and thick clouds in the launch area.

Join our live commentary and prelaunch coverage starting at 11 a.m. on NASA's Launch Blog at http://blogs.nasa.gov/maven and on NASA Television athttp://www.nasa.gov/ntv.