United Launch Alliance (ULA) delayed the launch of a Delta IV rocket carrying the WGS-9 satellite for the U.S. Air Force for no earlier than March 14 after finding a booster issue, the company said Saturday.
ULA’s team discovered a first stage booster engine issue during standard prelaunch inspections. The team is actively working to resolve the issue and “This additional time will allow the ULA team to ensure all systems are operating nominally prior to launch,” Lyn Chassagne, a ULA spokeswoman, said.
ULA said a new launch date will be released once it is established. The Delta IV is set to launch from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
WGS satellites are part of a new high-capacity satellite communications system that provides enhanced communications capabilities to U.S. troops in the field. It has 19 independent coverage areas with 18 that can be positions throughout its field of view. ULA explained the coverage areas include eight steerable/shapeable X-band beams formed for separate transmit/receive phased arrays, 10 Ka-band beams served by independently steerable diplexed antennas. And one transmit/receive X-band Earth-coverage beam.
ULA said this launch is set to be the seventh flight of the Delta IV in the Medium + (5,4) configuration, which have previously delivered WGS missions to orbit. This will also be the 35th launch of the Delta IV.
ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA].