NOUS40KWBC 061541
FOS/NOAAPORT NOTICE NO. 1474 MAY 6... 1999
ATTENTION FAMILY OF SERVICES SUBSCRIBERS
NOAAPORT USERS
SUBJECT GOES-L LAUNCH DELAYED
NOTE
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NESDIS
OFFICE OF SATELLITE OPERATIONS CONCERNING THE DELAY OF
THE GOES-L LAUNCH. THIS DELAY IS TENTATIVELY FROM
5/15/99 TO 5/23/99... BUT THE NEW DATE IS NOT OFFICIAL
AT THIS TIME.
AT 4 PM MAY 5 THE LAUNCH OF NOAA GOES-L WAS OFFICIALLY
DELAYED AT LEAST 1 WEEK. AN APPROXIMATE 1- WEEK DELAY
IN THE GOES-L LAUNCH WILL ALLOW COMPLETION OF THE
INITIAL NASA REVIEW OF THE TITAN FAILURE AND ALLOWS
RESULTS OF LOCKHEED MARTIN AND BOEING INTERNAL
REVIEWS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE DECISION TO LAUNCH
GOES-L. NOTIFICATION OF ALL INVITED GUESTS WILL GO
OUT TOMMORROW.
AT THE MOMENT... GOES-L LAUNCH IS TENTATIVELY SET FOR
MAY 23... 1999. NASA IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH LAUNCH
SITE RANGE FACILITIES AND NASA S DSN TRACKING NETWORK
TO FINALIZE THE NEXT LAUNCH OPPORTUNITY FOR GOES-L. WE
WILL KEEP YOU ADVISED AS INFORMATION ABOUT A FIRM
LAUNCH DATE BECOMES AVAILABLE.
BACKGROUND
THE LAST THREE LAUNCH ATTEMPTS FROM CAPE CANAVERAL HAVE
BEEN FAILURES
A TITAN LAUNCH OF A DSP SATELLITE IN APRIL... A TITAN
LAUNCH OF A MILSTAR SATELLITE ON APRIL 30... AND THE
DELTA III LAUNCH OF A ORION SATELLITE ON MAY 4... 1999.
AN ADDITIONAL FAILURE OCCURRED ON A LOCKHEED MARTIN
ATHENA FROM VANDENBURG ON APRIL 27. THE TITAN... ATLAS
AND ATHENA ARE ALL BUILT BY LOCKHEED MARTIN. THE NASA
REVIEW WILL VERIFY THAT NO FAILURE MECHANISM IS RELATED
TO OUR ATLAS. WITH THE DELTA 3 FAILURE... THE AIR FORCE
HAD STATED ALL OF THEIR NEAR-TERM LAUNCHES WILL STAND
DOWN. IN ADDITION... LOCKHEED MARTIN AND BOEING /DELTA/
HAVE CONVENED INTERNAL SENIOR LEVEL REVIEWS OF HARDWARE
AND PROCESSES.
KATHY KELLY
MANAGER
SATELLITE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER
NOAA/NESDIS
301-457-5130
KKELLY/AT SYMBOL/NESDIS.NOAA.GOV
END
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