Atlas launch scrubbed
Posted: Tue, Dec 16, 2003, 10:55 AM ET (1555 GMT)
The launch of a military communications satellite on an Atlas 3B has been delayed two days because of a technical problem discovered Monday evening. The Atlas 3B was scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Monday night, but a few hours before launch controllers found that the temperature of a liquid oxygen valve boltcutter had fallen below acceptable levels. Technicians are expected to replace the boltcutter with a spare; to provide time to accomplish that the launch has been rescheduled for approximately 9:30 pm EST Wednesday (0230 GMT Thursday). Weather could pose a problem for Wednesday's launch: forecasters are predicting only a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather, with winds the primary concern. The Atlas is carrying the US Navy's UHF Follow-On (UFO) F11 spacecraft, the last in this series of communications spacecraft
The launch of a military communications satellite on an Atlas 3B has been delayed two days because of a technical problem discovered Monday evening. The Atlas 3B was scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Monday night, but a few hours before launch controllers found that the temperature of a liquid oxygen valve boltcutter had fallen below acceptable levels. Technicians are expected to replace the boltcutter with a spare; to provide time to accomplish that the launch has been rescheduled for approximately 9:30 pm EST Wednesday (0230 GMT Thursday). Weather could pose a problem for Wednesday's launch: forecasters are predicting only a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather, with winds the primary concern. The Atlas is carrying the US Navy's UHF Follow-On (UFO) F11 spacecraft, the last in this series of communications spacecraft
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, April 30
Firefly Rocket Launch Failure Puts Satellite in Ocean, Not Orbit
Noozhawk — 6:54 am ET (1054 GMT) Lockheed Demo Satellite Lost During Firefly Launch Mishap
Aviation Week — 6:54 am ET (1054 GMT) Lockheed loses experimental satellite after Firefly launch mishap
Defense News — 6:53 am ET (1053 GMT) Firefly Rocket Launched from Vandenberg Crashes into Pacific Ocean North of Antarctica
Santa Barbara (CA) Independent — 6:52 am ET (1052 GMT) Rocket Lab attracts a bull rating from Needham due to its growing position as a SpaceX competitor
SeekingAlpha — 6:52 am ET (1052 GMT) |
