spacetoday.net: NASA postpones NuSTAR launch

Posted: Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 9:39 AM ET (1339 GMT)
NuSTAR spacecraft illustration (NASA)

As astronomy satellite that had been slated for launch this month will remain on the ground for up to two more months to correct a software problem, the space agency announced Friday. The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) spacecraft was slated to launch later this month on a air-launched Pegasus XL rocket from the Reagan Test Site (RTS) at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. That launch had already encountered delays to correct issues with the rocket's flight software. NASA announced Friday that this software work will not be completed until after its launch window on the RTS range closes later this month. NASA said it would work with the range to find a new launch date, which should be within the next two months. NuSTAR will study the sky at x-ray wavelengths with greater quality than previous spacecraft missions.