spacetoday.net: MetOp launch postponed indefinitely

Posted: Thu, Jul 20, 2006, 10:26 AM ET (1426 GMT)
MetOp satellite illustration (ESA)

After three consecutive scrubs, the launch of Europe's first polar-orbiting weather satellite has been delayed until further notice, possibly as long as two months. The MetOp-A satellite was scheduled to launch on a Soyuz-2 booster from Baikonur on Monday, but launch attempts that day, as well as Tuesday and Wednesday, were scrubbed because of technical problems with the rocket. the scrubs do not appear to be related: Monday's postponement was caused by a glitch with a ground system, Tuesday's by unexpected telemetry readings from the rocket while being fueled, and Wednesday's because of an unspecified issue with a ground support system. European and Russian officials, though, have decided to return the satellite to an integration facility at the launch site while the problems with the rocket are worked out. No new launch date has been set, although Russian media reports speculated the launch would be postponed for at least two months. 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.