spacetoday.net: Delta 4 launch postponed again

Posted: Sun, Aug 3, 2003, 9:58 AM ET (1358 GMT)
Delta 4 booster on pad awaiting launch (Boeing)

Boeing announced late Saturday that it has further delayed the launch of a Delta 4 booster to replace an antenna on the launch vehicle. Boeing said that engineers will need several days to replace an antenna used by the vehicle's flight termination system. The launch was scheduled for August 4, and no new launch date has been scheduled. Boeing had reserved the Cape Canaveral range for the launch only through August 5, and officials said they will coordinate with the Air Force to determine a new launch date. The launch has been scheduled for August 3 but was pushed back a day to allow for additional checks in the insulation on the bottom of the vehicle's first stage; those checks confirmed that the insulation was properly attached. The Delta 4 is carrying the DSCS 3-B6 military communications satellite, the last in the DSCS series. The launch will be the third for the Delta 4 and the second military launch for the EELV family of vehicles.