Tim Furniss/LONDON
Boeing plans its third attempt to launch the new Delta III booster from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 23 August.
The flight, carrying a simulated satellite, will attempt to restore confidence in the commercial booster after its two failed missions in 1997 and 1998. The first Delta III exploded during launch and the second failed to place its satellite payload into the correct orbit after an upper stage failure.
Even with flight success, the Delta III's career could be short-lived due to development of the Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle for the US Air Force and for commercial use, aiming for a first flight late next year. Boeing has said that the Delta III is an "interim" vehicle.
Delta Mission Flight Three (DM-F3) will carry a simulated payload developed by Boeing with the US Air Force and the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) at the University of Colorado.
The payload will be used to calibrate and test electro-optical space imaging systems. The black- and-white striped payload has reflective surfaces to provide laser cross-section targets at visible and infrared wavelengths.
By viewing the satellite under varying degrees of light and darkness, the USAF will be able to verify its thermal standards and models for satellites. The CCAR will analyse data on payload dynamics, such as spin rate and precession angle to determine the payload's interactions with the orbital environment.
Source: Flight International
