With Hurricane Frances rapidly approaching the
Florida coast, a National Reconnaissance Office
payload was successfully launched aboard an Atlas
IIAS rocket from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. on Aug.
31 at 7:17 p.m. EDT.
The oncoming hurricane forced the launch team
to decide between taking the payload and booster
off the launch pad or try to launch again on Aug.
31. The launch team encountered four launch delays
due to technical and weather concerns. A fifth
launch delay might have forced the booster and
satellite to ride out the impact of Hurricane
Frances while “buttoned up” on the
launch pad.
"It was a very difficult decision and we
looked at the pros and cons of every aspect of
that decision and it was determined that the best
course of action was to try to launch again,”
said Col Chip Zakrzewski, mission director for
the launch and the director of the Office of Space
Launch. “The entire launch team was just
tremendous. We overcame a number of challenges
to successfully accomplish this launch. I couldn't
be happier.”
The Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS launched from
Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 36A.
