Delta IV launch postponed until May

This month's planned launch of a Delta IV rocket carrying a weather and climate observation satellite has been pushed back into May.

The United Launch Alliance rocket had been scheduled to blast off with the satellite for the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration on April 28. But NASA said today that the launch will now take place no earlier than May 12.

During a countdown dress rehearsal on Wednesday - essentially a trial run countdown with the rocket fully fueled - a liquid oxygen leak was detected in the first state, possibly in the fill and drain valve, NASA said.

A ULA team has begun work to isolate and repair the first stage of the liquid oxygen leak. Testing of the second stage and the hydrogen portion of the first stage were completed successfully.

The targeted launch date is the same day that Atlantis is scheduled to blast off on the Hubble Space Telescope serving mission.

NASA said that the Delta rocket's launch will be adjusted accordingly based on the outcome of troubleshooting and readiness of the Delta IV, the status of the shuttle, and the availability of the Eastern Range.

The weather satellite is expected to be transported to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 for mating to the rocket no earlier than April 24.

About the Image: In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, the two halves of the payload fairing move closer together to encapsulate the GOES-O satellite inside. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Source: NASA