This June 15 launch resulted in spy satellites being placed in a too-low orbit, due to a faulty valve. Photo by Michael Brown.
Mitigating a hardware problem prompted about a week's delay in the next Atlas 5 launch from Cape Canaveral.
The military communications satellite will be launched at 8:10 p.m. Sept. 21 from Launch Complex 41, said 45th Space Wing spokesperson Ken Warren.
"The delay of the Atlas V from (Sept. 13 to Sept. 21) was the result of hardware component upgrades made to the booster to mitigate risks identified during the last Atlas V launch," said Warren.
The last Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral was June 15. A fuel leak during the flight caused the mission to fail to deliver its top-secret spy payloads to the right orbit. The valve that caused the fuel leak has been replaced in both the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 fleets.
The next Atlas V will carry the first of five Wideband Global Satellites, which will provide as much communication power as the military's entire present system. U.S. tactical forces will rely on WGS to connect quickly with the Defense Information Systems Network.
The Atlas delay is not expected to move the Sept. 26 launch of the Dawn spacecraft on a $450 million mission to the asteroid belt.
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