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Delta 4 Delayed at Cape, Taurus Lite Flies from Vandenberg
By Jim Banke
Senior Producer, Cape Canaveral Bureau
posted: 11:00 am ET
07 February 2003
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Boeing has delayed launch of its next Delta 4 rocket into March because of a problem with the new booster's main engine. Stacked and ready to fly from pad 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta 4 was at one time set for launch Friday evening. But out of respect for the loss of Columbia and crew, Boeing stopped work at the pad last weekend. Boeing had then retargeted for Monday evening when the trouble with the rocket's main engine prompted a further delay. The technical problem involves contamination of a valve in the device that helps move the main engine for steering during the climb to orbit. While it's possible the problem won't take long to fix, Boeing faced a month-long hit to the schedule due to the fact that the Eastern Range is shutting down for a period of upgrades and maintenance. No launches can take place during this time, which is expected to last until March 4. "We'll be ready for launch at the first available date after the Air Force resumes operation of the range from their annual upgrade activity," said Dan Collins, vice president and program manager of Delta Programs. The Delta 4 is to carry a Defense Satellite Communications System spacecraft (DSCS 3-A3) into Earth orbit on what will be the company's official first launch under the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.A commercial launch of the inaugural Delta 4 was successfully conducted last October. Meanwhile, a new Orbital Sciences booster called Taurus Lite was successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Thursday. A derivative of the company's Taurus, Pegasus and Minotaur rockets, the booster was sent on a suborbital test flight at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) with no payload aboard. The test was part of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program, formerly the National Missile Defense Program, and was staged from a concrete pad at Vandenberg instead of a missile silo, officials said.
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