spacetoday.net: Upper stage investigation delays next Delta 4 launch

Updated: Sat, Oct 19, 2013, 11:20 AM ET (1520 GMT)
Originally Posted: Sat, Oct 19, 2013, 11:20 AM ET (1520 GMT)
Delta 4 launch of GPS2F-3 (ULA)

United Launch Alliance (ULA) said Friday it has postponed next week's scheduled launch of a GPS satellite on a Delta 4 in order to evaluate "updated conclusions" from the investigation of an incident last year. The Delta 4 Medium+ (4,2) was scheduled to launch October 23 from Cape Canaveral, carrying the GPS 2F-5 satellite. ULA said Friday, though, that the launch was postponed in order to give engineers time to review unspecified updates regarding the dynamic responses of the RL10 engine system of the rocket's upper stage. Those updates come from an investigation into a Delta 4 launch in October 2012, when a fuel leak in the RL10 engine system caused the engine to underperform but still allowed the stage to place that GPS spacecraft into the proper orbit. A new launch date has not been set.