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NOAA weather satellite grounded again by equipment failure
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The hard-luck NOAA-N Prime weather satellite stalled on the ground again last night at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This second launch pad failure, NASA said, involved
A payload fairing air conditioning compressor at the launch pad ... This unit provides cool, dry air inside the fairing prior to launch.
Though unlikely, the payload team needs additional time to be assured that an unacceptable level of hydrocarbons have not been introduced into the spacecraft environment within the fairing.
On Wednesday night, a gaseous nitrogen pressurization system failure on the pad halted the countdown. Managers will meet today to evaluate a Friday launch attempt.
Shown here:NOAA-N Prime in 2003 following an accident at a Lockheed Martin plant. The NASA accident investigation found that, among many other failures, workers failed to follow standard work procedures, including quality control and safety requirements.
Because Lockheed Martin technicians did not secure or even check twenty-four bolts required to hold the satellite in place on a work element, NOAA-N Prime tumbled out of control, smashing on the floor. Getting NOAA-N Prime ready for service after the accident cost about $217 million in repairs and a delay of years.
NOAA-N Prime is slated to join the fleet of weather and Earth observation satellites used by NOAA and NASA.
Image credit: NASA
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