NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 17 March 2006
Mission: Space Technology 5 (ST5)
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Launch Vehicle: Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL
Launch Date: No earlier than March 22, 2006
Launch Window: 8:57:31 to 10:19:50 a.m. EST
Targeted Drop Time: 9:02 a.m. EST
The weather outlook is generally favorable for a launch attempt on March 22. Testing and troubleshooting on the Pegasus rocket by the NASA and Orbital Sciences engineering team is under way. It is undetermined why the starboard flight control surface fin pin did not retract during the March 15 launch attempt.
The Pegasus fin batteries have been removed and replaced in accordance with standard procedure following a launch attempt. They had been activated for the pre-deployment fin sweep tests during the terminal countdown sequence.
A Launch Readiness Review is scheduled for Monday, March 20.
Previous status reports are available on the Web at:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/2006
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
