By Marina Malenic
The Air Force has implemented corrective actions associated with a Minotaur IV rocket software problem and now expects a September launch of the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite, originally scheduled for July 8.
Minotaur manufacturer Orbital [ORB] discovered an anomaly in May during preliminary testing for the Space Test Program S-26 mission, which would follow SBSS. The Air Force investigation that followed pointed to a problem with the common launch vehicle software. An assessment of impacts to the SBSS test launch was then conducted (Defense Daily, July 9).
As the software effort came to a close, investigators identified “a potential mission risk” associated with certain connectors used on flight avionics components aboard the Minotaur IV launch vehicle, according to a spokesman for the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
“Inspections of the connectors aboard the rocket at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., are underway now and will support validation that the rocket hardware is flight ready,” the spokesman said in a statement released yesterday. “Upon completion of this inspection and any needed hardware replacements, the team will identify a new launch date, request that date on the western range, and continue preparations for launch.”
The spokesman added that a late September launch date is expected.
Officials confirmed, meanwhile, that there are no problems with the spacecraft itself. It is currently in storage at the launch base, the spokesman said.
SBSS is expected to give the Air Force its first full-time, space-based surveillance of satellites and debris in Earth orbit, a job currently done by ground-based systems.
Air Force officials have said other programs using Minotaur launch vehicles after SBSS include the Space Test Program S-26, the L-66 mission, Tactical Satellite IV, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency hypersonic technology vehicle mission, and the Operationally Responsive Space-1 (ORS-1) spacecraft.
Boeing [BA] is the prime contractor for SBSS, while Ball Aerospace [BLL] designed, developed, built, integrated and tested the satellite.