NASA Aborts ST5 Launch

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2006/Satnews Daily/ — NASA scrubbed yesterday’s launch of Space Technology 5 when a locking pin in the rocket's control surface mechanism did not retract.

Orbital Sciences Corp., which built the Pegasus rocket that was to carry NASA's ST5 satellites, said the flight was called off at approximately 9:35 a.m. (EST).

Orbital said its engineers will diagnose and correct the problem and establish a new launch date at the earliest opportunity pending resolution of the issue, the availability of the range and acceptable weather conditions at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California launch site.

NASA and company officials estimate that the launch delay will be no less than 48 hours.
 

NASA's Space Technology 5 (ST5) Project is building and testing three smaller satellites called micro-satellites. These micro-sats will test and validate new technologies for future science missions.

The hope is that ST5 will demonstrate the benefits of a group of small low-cost spacecraft taking measurements at the same time in different locations. Building and testing of all three micro-sats is currently underway and scheduled for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) on March 11, 2006. ST5 is scheduled to operate in space for at least 90 days.

ST5's objective is to demonstrate and flight qualify several innovative technologies and concepts for application to future space missions, NASA said.

The ST5 Project is a part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which was created to identify, develop, build, and test innovative technologies and concepts for use in future missions. Its missions are guided by future needs of NASA's Earth and Space Science program.

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