spacetoday.net: European weather satellite launch delayed

Posted: Mon, Jul 17, 2006, 8:59 PM ET (0059 GMT)
MetOp satellite illustration (ESA)

The launch of a European weather satellite on a Russian rocket was postponed Monday at least 24 hours because of a problem with the rocket. The MetOp-A satellite was scheduled for launch on a Soyuz-2 rocket Monday at 12:28 pm EDT (1628 GMT) from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. However, the launch was scrubbed shortly before the scheduled liftoff time because of an unspecified problem with the rocket. The launch has been postponed at least 24 hours, with more information to be released Tuesday morning. MetOp-A is Europe's first polar-orbit weather satellite, and will be used in conjunction with a similar series of US polar-orbit weather satellites.