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Oersted Newsletter #13, 1999 (February 3)
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Table of Contents
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1. Next Launch Attempt
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1. Next Launch Attempt
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From: Torsten Neubert (neubert@dmi.dk)

!!! Next launch attempt may occur on Sunday Feb. 7 !!!

From our reliable source - James V. Zimmerman:

"According to the NASA's Launch Site Integration Manager at Vandenberg
Air Force Base , Boeing currently anticipates proceeding with the next
ARGOS/Ørsted/SUNSAT launch attempt early Sunday morning (California
time) 7 February with a back-up launch date of Monday morning,
8 February.

Boeing's Rocketdyne propulsion laboratory is continuing to test the
suspected faulty vernier engine propellant valve which apparently
caused the shutdown of the Delta-2 launch sequence on 28 January. 
A preliminary inspection of the valve did not indicate the likely cause
of the malfunction.   Rocketdyne test engineers are continuing their
analysis of the problem in order to understand why the failure occurred
and to take corrective action before proceeding the next Delta-2 launch
attempts.

In the meantime, the US Air Force/Boeing launch team is proceeding with
processing of the Delta-2 vehicle and the reconditioning and
re-charging of the flight batteries.  Boeing hopes to have the Delta-2
vehicle ready for the ARGOS/Ørsted/SUNSAT launch on 7 February.  
Proceeding with a launch on 7 or 8 February is based in part on 
Vandenberg range scheduling.   The US Air Force previously scheduled a
Minuteman III  launch for early in the morning of 10 February with a
backup date of 11 February.  This launch campaign cannot be rescheduled.
The Air Force launch and range safety teams need approximately two days
to reconfigure the Vandenberg launch range between launch campaigns. 
Accordingly, if the ARGOS/Ørsted/SUNSAT launch does not occur by
8 February, it will likely not be able to be scheduled before 12 or
13 February.   This would leave just one week before the date
(20 February) when Boeing and the Air Force will have to begin
considering whether to recondition the second stage of the Delta-2
vehicle before further launch attempts can be made.

The launch of NASA's STARDUST mission on a Delta-2 vehicle from the
Cape Canaveral, Florida launch range remains scheduled for 6 February.
Boeing has decided that it can support both a launch on the east coast
on 6 February and one on the west coast on 7 February.  The Air Force
and NASA must still give their final approval to this scenario since it
leaves little time to analyze the data from the first Delta-2 launch
before proceeding with the second one.  The Air Force must also review
the results of the vernier engine valve tests and approve the
conclusions of the Rocketdyne test engineers before the OK is given to
proceed with ARGOS/Ørsted/SUNSAT launch.

Whenever it occurs, NASA and Boeing have agreed to provide live video
coverage and the satellite feed for the next ARGOS/Ørsted/SUNSAT launch
attempt and, if necessary, for one additional attempt.

I will pass along further information as I receive it on preparations
for the upcoming ARGOS/Ørsted/SUNSAT launch attempt."

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