Posted: Fri, May 13, 2005, 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT)
For the third straight day the launch of a weather satellite from California has been delayed, this time because of a problem with the launch pad. Launch controllers scrubbed the Delta 2 launch of the NOAA-N satellite about 90 minutes before its scheduled liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base after they concluded they could not fix a problem with the pad in time to permit a launch. The problem was with the electrical system of water deluge pumps that spray water at launch to cool the pad and dampen vibrations at launch. The launch, delayed the previous two days because of weather, has been rescheduled for Saturday at 6:22 am EDT (1022 GMT). NOAA-N is the latest in a series of Polar Operational Environmental Satellites that complement other weather satellites in geosynchronous orbit, providing atmospheric sounding and other data.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  AP article