CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral’s early planned rocket launch Thursday morning did not happen for United Launch Alliance after a technical problem prompted the team to go down.
What you need to know
- The new launch is scheduled for 2:04 p.m., Saturday, August 29th
- A SpaceX launch has been moved again
- Full space traffic: Space News | Rocket Launch Schedule
The ULA’s Heavy Rocket Delta IV would send a classified spy satellite to the National Reconnaissance Office and it was planned to lift EDT at 2:12 p.m.
In a tweet early Thursday morning, ULA stated that the problem was a “critical ground pneumatic control system” and that his team needed time to review and work on the problem.
The launch of the United Launch Alliance #DeltaIVHeavy # NROL44 mission was scrapped today due to a problem with a critical ground pneumatic control system. The team needs extra time to evaluate and resolve the issue.
– ULA (@ulalaunch) August 27, 2020
Later in the day, ULA announced that it had postponed the launch even further, to Saturday at 2:04 p.m.
There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch.
It was originally scheduled for a launch Wednesday morning at the same time, but according to the company’s tweet, the NGO requested a date change for the removal.
When it launches, expect it to be loud, as the Delta IV consists of three powerful rocket boosters, which will make a huge fuss with a combined thrust of 2.1 million pounds.
However, ULA is not the only launch space that fans will see this week.
For Sunday, SpaceX plans to launch the SAOCOM satellite for Argentina’s space agency. The lift is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was scheduled for a launch at the same time on Thursday and then again on Friday.
But now that the SAOCOM mission has been moved to Sunday, it remains unclear if SpaceX will launch the Starlink mission, which was scheduled for the same date and time. It was scheduled to launch on Saturday.
ROCKET SHUFFLE: To the barn this morning, @ulalaunch #DeltaIVHeavy # NROL44 launches for 2:08 pm Friday. @SpaceX # Falcon9 # SAOCOM1B now moved to 10:30 a.m. Sunday. That lock was last @SpaceX #Starlink mission, unclear when it will go. @ 45thSpaceWing @ MyNews13 # News13Brevard pic.twitter.com/TTNcOtGvGL
– Greg Pallone (@ gpallone13) August 27, 2020
As it goes, it will take place in the Kennedy Space Center on Launch Pad 39A.
If all three launches had gone as planned, it would have been a trifecta: Three liftoffs in four days – that would be a record – in three consecutive missions back in 2001, when a Titan 4, Delta II and a space shuttle launched inside a period of five days.
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