The Nation : Winds Delay Launch of Delta 2 Rocket

The Air Force delayed the maiden launch of its new Delta 2 rocket at the last minute and rescheduled blastoff for Tuesday because of unexpected high-altitude winds, officials said. The 128-foot, three-stage rocket, carrying a $65-million advanced navigation satellite, had been scheduled to be launched during the afternoon from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station adjacent to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But with the countdown in a planned 10-minute hold at the T-minus 4-minute mark, Air Force mission managers decided to postpone the flight for 48 hours. An Air Force spokeswoman said winds between 14,000 feet and 18,000 feet were from the northwest and that the rocket’s guidance computer was expecting more southwesterly winds. Such winds could have “adverse aerodynamic effects,” she said.