Tropical Storm Erika forces minimum 48 hour delay of MUOS-4 mission
Tropical Storm Erika. Image Credit: NOAA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — The flight of a United Launch Alliance (ULA ) Atlas V 551 rocket and its payload of the fourth satellite for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-4) – has been delayed due to what is currently Tropical Storm Erika. At present, the mission is not expected to take to the skies any earlier than Sept. 2.
The announcement, made late in the day on Friday, Aug. 28, came just hours after a teleconference held with the key organizations involved with the planned flight. During the hour-long exchange mission managers noted that they were closely following the conditions down in the Caribbean.
Florida’s Governor, Rick Stott, declared a State of Emergency after the storm had caused the deaths of at least 20 people in Dominica after it had passed over the tiny Caribbean island.
Jason Rhian
Jason Rhian spent several years honing his skills with internships at NASA, the National Space Society and other organizations. He has provided content for outlets such as: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Space.com, The Mars Society and Universe Today.
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