Tracking Station Woes Delay Boeing Launch

Boeing Co. said it canceled the launch Friday of its Delta II rocket carrying five Iridium telecommunications satellites because of tracking station damage, nine days after a Delta III rocket exploded. The launch of the Delta II, a slightly smaller version of the Delta III rocket, was rescheduled for Tuesday, said Boeing spokeswoman Erin Oleson. A Point Mugu station that tracks the rocket and satellites was damaged by lightning Thursday night and needs to be repaired, she said. The Delta II carries about half the payload of the Delta III rocket, which exploded on its first flight on Aug. 26, destroying a PanAmSat Corp. telecommunications satellite. Boeing’s space unit is based in Huntington Beach. The Iridium system is a global wireless communication network owned by a joint venture led by Motorola Inc. Two Iridium satellites failed in July. The postponement won’t delay Iridium’s plans to start service on Sept. 23, said Iridium spokeswoman Michelle Lyle.