Monday, May 24, 2010

Delta IV plans to take flight tonight

The Air Force hopes a telemetry signal problem is resolved in time to launch a Global Positioning System satellite tonight aboard a Delta IV rocket.

The targeted launch time is 11:13 p.m., the opening of an 18-minute launch window, and there's an 80 percent chance of good weather.

It appears the primary concern remains the ability to maintain and monitor telemetry signals that allow the satellite -- the first in a new generation of GPS spacecraft -- to communicate with ground support equipment during flight.

A first launch attempt scrubbed Friday when the signal was lost late in the countdown.

The Air Force started a new countdown Sunday, but halted it six hours before a planned liftoff, saying more time was needed to test a modified method for monitoring the telemetry.

If the problem has been resolved, plans call for fueling of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV to begin around 5 p.m.

If the mission does not launch tonight, its next attempt would have to wait until after shuttle Atlantis return, planned Wednesday morning.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The launch window opens at 11:13 pm tonight.

James Dean said...

Sorry for the error and thanks for pointing it out. It's been corrected. Apparently I still had Sunday's attempt in mind.