Sorry, rocket fans: Delta IV launch from Vandenberg postponed again
The much-anticipated launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been pushed back, again, by at least a week.
The United Launch Alliance tweeted Friday morning that the launch would go forward no earlier than Jan. 6, after previously pushing it back to no earlier than Dec. 30.
“The ULA #DeltaIVHeavy carrying the #NROL71 mission will launch no earlier than Sun., Jan. 6, 2019,” the tweet, posted at 8:17 a.m., reads. “The mission will launch from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.”
The Delta IV launch has been delayed multiple times, including one postponement for a hydrogen leak and another for high winds.
The rocket will carry a top-secret payload from the National Reconnaissance Office for a mission dubbed NROL-71.
If and when the rocket gets off the ground, onlookers should have a show in the evening sky as the rocket rises from the Santa Barbara County coast over the ocean.
To watch an overview of the mission and video of the Dec. 19 launch attempt, click here.
This story was originally published December 28, 2018 at 11:38 AM.
