FWD: Titan II delay follows Delta II postponement to next year

This makes it two for two (delays for vehicles). . .

If the technical issues can be resolved, there's a possibility of back-to-back launches on January 7-8 (weather permitting, of course).

Regards,
Jim Spellman
NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY
Western Spaceport Chapter
4617 Oak Lane - Mtn. Mesa
Lake Isabella, CA 93240-9713
Tel/Fax: 760-379-2503
E-mail: WSpaceport@...
Internet: www.hometown.aol.com/wspaceport/Welcome.html
www.nss.org

Dec. 18, 2002
Release No. 02-1213

Titan II Coriolis mission postponed

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The launch of a Titan II booster from Space Launch Complex-4 West here has been postponed due to a vehicle problem with the spacecraft. The launch has been rescheduled for Jan. 7, 2003.

The joint government and industry project dubbed Coriolis will put the Navy Windsat Radiometer and an Air Force Solar Mass Ejection Imager in a
low-Earth, sun synchronous orbit.

The Windsat radiometer will provide meteorological information on wind speed and direction at or near the surface of the ocean and the Solar Mass
Ejection Imager will provide early warning of coronal mass ejections that affect communications and power distribution systems on earth.

- 30SW -

George H. Diller
NASA Vandenberg Resident Office Dec. 17, 2002
(Phone: 805/605-3051)

David Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/385-1730)

Robert Villanueva
Boeing Expendable Launch Systems
(Phone: 714/372-2089)

RELEASE: 02-253

ICESat/CHIPSat LAUNCH RESCHEDULED

The launch of NASA's ICESat and CHIPSat spacecraft, aboard a Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle, has been postponed.

During a review of test data, a problem within an ordnance box was found. The difficulty is associated with the signal the unit provides for launch vehicle devices to unlatch and separate the payload fairing. The removal and replacement of this unit, and the associated retest, will take approximately two weeks.

The launch is targeted to occur no earlier than January 8, 2003, if the work can be successfully completed, as planned.

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