Glitch Forces Delay Of Atlas V Launch

By  //  June 18, 2012

Rescheduled For Wednesday

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – The launch of an Atlas V carrying a secret payload for the National Reconnaissance Office has been delayed by a technical glitch until Wednesday.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle, carrying the NROL-38 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, is rolled off the launch pad Sunday at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. (Image courtesy United Launch Alliance)

Originally scheduled for Monday morning, United Launch Alliance technicians identified an issue with an environmental control system duct aboard its NROL-38 mission that failed near its connection to the Mobile Launch Platform on Sunday afternoon.

That forced a delay of the mission until later this week.

The vehicle was rolled back to the Vertical Integration facility at Cape Canaveral for removal and replacement of the duct before another attempt will be made to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Atlas V launch will be the fifth overall for United Launch Alliance fo9r the year and the 61st overall for the company.

This also will be second of four planned launches by ULA in 2012 and the first of three over the next six weeks.

The Atlas V will be deliver a secret payload to space for the National Reconnaissance Office in support of national defense.

The rocket uses more than 860,000 pounds of thrust at liftoff through its RD-180 main engine in support of national defense.