14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at NASA say that the launch of the twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) was delayed again today, August 24, after engineers discovered an error with the Atlas V delivery system that is supposed to carry the spacecraft to Earth's orbit.
Experts managing the Eastern Range at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), in Florida, reported a signal drift coming from one of the C-band transponders aboard the large delivery system.
Even though engineers rushed to address the problem, the short, 20-minute launch window that opened at 4:07 am EDT (0807 GMT) closed before the source of the problem could be identified. The launch attempt was therefore scrubbed, and rescheduled for tomorrow, August 25.
The purpose of the NASA RBSP mission is to study the two mysterious Van Allen radiation belts, which surround the planet at various distances and play a significant role in determining space weather.