Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) announced that a planned launch Tuesday of its third Wideband Global communications satellite (WGS) was delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
“Due to high winds at Space Launch Complex-37, the WGS-3 spacecraft was not able to be mated to the Delta IV rocket on Nov. 8 or 9 as planned,” an SMC spokeswoman said yesterday via email.
LC-37 is a launch complex at Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The spacecraft has been taken to a servicing center, according to the spokeswoman, to recharge its batteries. She said a new launch date evaluation was underway and that it would be announced shortly.
WGS-3 will complete the initial constellation of three WGS satellites, which provide high-capacity X-band and Ka-band communications capability for the military.