ULA rocket launch out of Vandenberg scrubbed again, reset for Dec. 20
United Launch Alliance for the second time this week has pulled back from the launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, this time just minutes before liftoff.
The conglomerate of Lockheed Martin and Boeing set a new launch window to put a next generation spy satellite into orbit at 5:31 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20.
An exact reason for the most recent delay was not given. The original launch was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7, which was delayed until the following Saturday, only to be put off again for an attempt on Tuesday, Dec. 18.
Launch Alert: we have declared a scrub for today’s launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy. We will set up for a 24 hour recycle and the next launch attempt will be 12/20 at 5:31pm PST.
— ULA (@ulalaunch) December 20, 2018
The eyes of space enthusiasts around the Los Angeles area were glued to the skies on Wednesday evening shortly after sunset, expecting a dramatic display.
The launch scheduled for 5:44 p.m. promised to create a light show as it rose above the Earth and its exhaust plumes were expected to be seen in sunlight at higher altitudes.
The largest of ULA’s Delta class of rockets – the Delta 4-Heavy – utilizes three rocket boosters, which were not intended to be reused.
The mission ULA, called NROL-71, was commissioned by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and is intended to put a secret spy satellite into low Earth orbit, about 1,200 miles above the surface. The satellite is said to represent the next step in imaging technology.