Rocket Snag Delays Launch of Study Project : Space: An electrical problem holds up a plan to make Earth’s magnetic field visible.

An electrical problem Monday forced further delay in launching an Atlas rocket with a government satellite that is supposed to illuminate Earth’s invisible magnetic field lines by releasing chemicals in space.

Two attempts at launching Monday were called off after computers failed to indicate whether the Atlas had been switched over to internal power.

“They’re just going to trouble-shoot it and see what the problem was,” said Jack Isabel, spokesman for rocket builder, General Dynamics. “Obviously, it’s always disappointing when you can’t launch, but one of these days everything will go right and we’ll have a success.”

Isabel said that a new liftoff date would be announced after the cause of the problem is pinpointed.

Throughout the morning there was concern about thunderstorms, but the weather improved and would have been fine for the scheduled 3:26 p.m. liftoff time. Sunday’s attempt was postponed because of threatening weather.

The first attempt, on Friday, was called off because of a helium leak from a loose duct. All four liquid helium vent ducts were replaced Saturday.

The commercial Atlas 1 rocket was to boost the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite into an elliptical orbit of 217 miles by 22,236 miles high. The $189-million satellite program is a joint project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Defense Department.

Once in orbit, the 2-ton satellite is to eject 24 canisters filled with barium, lithium and other chemicals. The released chemicals will be ionized by the sun’s ultraviolet rays and form large, glowing clouds.

The clouds will travel along Earth’s magnetic field lines and illuminate them in an array of colors that will be visible to the naked eye. Some of the releases will resemble the aurora borealis, or the northern lights.