CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A technical problem seems to be the reason behind a scrubbed launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket this week. Opportunities for showers and thunderstorms were also a concern for the rare launch.
The launch of a ULA Delta IV Heavy Rocket carrying the NROL-68 mission was scrubbed early Wednesday morning after an issue with a ground systems pneumatic valve, ULA said in a tweet. The new launch is planned for 3:25 a.m. Thursday, June 22.
Launch Weather Officer Mark Burger said there was a 75 percent chance of favorable conditions for the launch opportunity back on Monday. Liftoff was originally slated for 3:29 a.m., but was rescheduled for 3:56 a.m. on June 21 from Cape Canaveral.
"An unsettled weather pattern is likely to remain in place through at least the middle of the week, characterized by above normal opportunities for showers and thunderstorms each day, with somewhat lesser storm coverage today and perhaps Monday compared to recent days," the launch weather team said in a statement.
Delta IV Heavy is launching the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). According to United Launch Alliance, the payload aboard NROL-68 is designed and operated by the NRO "in support of the agency's national security mission to provide intelligence data to the United States senior policymakers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense."
According to its mission statement, the NRO develops, acquires, launches and operates the United States space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for the country's safety.
A live stream will be available 20 minutes before liftoff. NROL-68 is the 388th Delta launch since 1960, the 44th Delta IV and the 15th in the Heavy model.
