CAPE CANAVERAL -- Problems with a signal relayer have forced engineers to scrub the planned launch of an Atlas V rocket Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch Monday.
Early Saturday Morning Rocket Launch
An Atlas V rocket will spend another day on the pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after a technical issue forced engineers to scrub the launch, scheduled after midnight Saturday.
According to Florida Today, the problem was with relay system that sends commands to separate the rocket stages during launch.
Officials said the Ordinance Remote Control Assembly (ORCA) had a temporary power drop out. Engineers could not figure out what caused the glitch so they decided to scrub the launch.
No new launch date has been set.
When it does liftoff, the Atlas V will be carrying an Intelsat-14 communications satellite.
The Intelsat-14 replaces a similar satellite orbiting overhead right now, which has been there for nine years. The life expectancy of the satellite is 15 years.
The satellite will provide TV and and other communications to Africa, Europe and the Americas.
News 13 will carry the rocket launch live when it happens.
Atlantis Crew Raring to Go
Meanwhile, the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis is back in Florida and getting ready for a Monday liftoff.
NASA said it should be a near-perfect day for a launch, with weather looking to be 100 percent go for tanking, and 90 percent go for launch.
The six member crew of the STS-129 mission is already hard at work, settling into their familiar pre-launch routine.
They will be ferrying cargo up to the expanded International Space Station. A Russian module was connected Thursday, adding an extra docking port and room for additional experiments.
On Friday, the astronauts will review flight plans and log some practice time in the shuttle training aircraft.
Commander Charlie Hobaugh and his crew are scheduled to head for space at 2:28 p.m. Monday. It’s an 11-day mission, ending the day after Thanksgiving.
NASA started the countdown clock on STS-129 at 1 p.m. Friday.
You can watch the launch LIVE on News 13 Monday and participate in a LIVE chat on CFnews13.com.
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