DART launch delayed
Posted: Tue, Oct 26, 2004, 8:27 PM ET (0027 GMT)
Weather and technical problems delayed the launch Tuesday of an experimental NASA satellite for at least 48 hours. The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft was scheduled for launch late Tuesday morning from on a Pegasus XL booster off the coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. DART is designed to rendezvous with an existing low Earth orbit satellite, MUBLCOM, using only the sensors and computers on the spacecraft itself. However, MUBLCOM had a temporary loss of GPS signal reception needed for an accurate rendezvous; while the problem was corrected, engineers requested additional time to review the data. In addition, a storm approaching the California coast made it unlikely weather would permit a launch regardless of any technical problems. The launch is tentatively rescheduled for Thursday, depending on the availability of a P-3 aircraft used to track the launch.
Weather and technical problems delayed the launch Tuesday of an experimental NASA satellite for at least 48 hours. The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft was scheduled for launch late Tuesday morning from on a Pegasus XL booster off the coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. DART is designed to rendezvous with an existing low Earth orbit satellite, MUBLCOM, using only the sensors and computers on the spacecraft itself. However, MUBLCOM had a temporary loss of GPS signal reception needed for an accurate rendezvous; while the problem was corrected, engineers requested additional time to review the data. In addition, a storm approaching the California coast made it unlikely weather would permit a launch regardless of any technical problems. The launch is tentatively rescheduled for Thursday, depending on the availability of a P-3 aircraft used to track the launch.
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