The mission , designed to deploy a satellite to study the approaching Halley 's Comet and to inaugurate the Teacher in Space Project , was delayed numerous times due to bad weather and technical glitches .
The mission was designed to deploy a satellite to study the approaching Halley 's Comet and to inaugurate the Teacher in Space Project . It was delayed several times due to bad weather and technical glitches .
Rosa quickly decayed over the mountains of Mexico , and its cloud shield rapidly accelerated northward through the Plains and Mississippi Valley , moistening the atmosphere enough in Texas ahead of a slow moving occluded cyclone to help set the stage for a significant flood event in east Texas on the October 17 .