Technical glitch postpones NASA satellite launch
MIAMI (AFP) -
A technical problem on Monday delayed the planned launch for at least 24 hours of a series of NASA satellites designed to study hurricanes, the US space agency said.
Orbital ATK's Stargazer L-1011 airplane took off as planned from Cape Canaveral with a rocket attached to its underside, but the in-air launch was foiled by a problem with the hydraulic system that appeared after takeoff.
"The hydraulic system in question was not for the L-1011 aircraft itself, but for the system that allows the Pegasus XL rocket to release from the aircraft," NASA said in a statement.
"That system was not meeting its prescribed pressures, indicating a problem with the hydraulic pump."
The Stargazer aircraft climbs to a height of 39,000 feet -- 10,000 feet higher than Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth -- before dropping the rocket, which then ignites its engines in mid-air and deploys the satellites.
http://www.france24.com/en/20161212-technical-glitch-postpones-nasa-satellite-launch
