To: kitterykid who wrote (5967 ) 5/3/1999 9:43:00 PM From: SafetyAgentMan Read Replies (1) | Respond to
May 4, 1999
Centaur problem won't delay Boeing Delta 3, but other rocket launches
remain uncertain
By Justin Ray
FLORIDA TODAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Convinced its rocket is in good shape, Boeing
will make another attempt at launching its new Delta 3 tonight despite
earlier concerns with one of its engines.
The Delta 3 second stage engine is similar to the ones on the Air Force
Titan 4B rocket that did not work Friday, resulting in a $1.2 billion
failure.
An Air Force investigation into the accident is focusing on the Titan's
Centaur upper stage that was supposed to send a Milstar military
communications satellite into an orbit 22,300 miles above Earth.
Officials believe the Centaur misfired and placed the spacecraft in a
useless orbit, an error that may have been caused by a problem with its
computer software or guidance system.
The Delta 3 uses a newer version of the Centaur engines, which are built
by Pratt & Whitney. For that reason, Boeing scrapped plans to fly the
Delta 3 on Sunday until more was known about Friday's failure.
"After meeting with our suppliers and customers we decided to move
forward," said Boeing spokesman Walt Rice.
The goal of tonight's $230 million mission is to place an Asian TV
satellite into orbit. Liftoff is set between 8:56 and 10:04 p.m. EDT.
Boeing is counting on the Delta 3 to help the company gain a bigger
share of the world's commercial launch business, much of which is now
dominated by the Europeans.
All the rocket's missions would start from Cape Canaveral Air Station.
The first attempt the fly the Delta 3 last August failed shortly after
liftoff when the rocket veered off course and was destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Air Force has delayed its next Titan 4 launch by at least
one day while engineers scrutinize the rocket in the wake of last week's
failure. Liftoff is now scheduled for no sooner than Saturday from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Friday's launch and the upcoming mission both use virtually identical
Titan 4B rockets. The only major difference is the West Coast Titan
rocket will not feature an upper stage.
"We are awaiting initial data to if there are any common systems," said
Air Force spokesman Maj. John Cherry. "We are in a day-to-day slip."
A decision could come today on whether the launch is possible on
Saturday.
The rocket is reportedly carrying a spy satellite that uses radar to
peer through clouds and pinpoint enemy targets.
Back on this coast, the planned May 15 launch of a Lockheed Martin Atlas
2A rocket carrying the GOES-L weather satellite for NASA and NOAA also
is threatened.
The Atlas, too, uses a Centaur upper stage like the Titan 4.
Workers plan to press ahead with preparations including a countdown
rehearsal today in which the rocket will be fueled in a demonstration
test.
Also today, the GOES-L spacecraft will be enclosed within the rocket's
nose cone at the Astrotech processing facility near Titusville. It will
then be transported to the launch pad to be installed atop the Centaur
stage on Wednesday.
Although processing is scheduled to continue, the ultimate impact from
the Titan mishap isn't known.
"We still need to look at some data and that probably won't be turned
over until next week," said NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone.
Lockheed Martin is launching the satellite for NASA.
