McDONNELL DOUGLAS (MDC) says that explosive separation lines on one of the nine solid-rocket boosters, which failed to separate on the Delta 2 launch on 5 August had been exposed to "excessive temperatures".
The failure stranded the Koreasat 1 satellite in a lower orbit than planned. The Koreasat limped into geostationary orbit using so much propellant that its useful lifetime was reduced from ten to five years, which qualifies as an insurance write-off, should the South Koreans decide to make a claim.
The mall shield-fairings, which protect the explosive lines of the boosters on the Delta 2, will be modified and the next Delta 2 - to launch the Radarsat, delayed from 20 September to mid-October - will carry special instrumentation "...to provide additional data on the launch environment".
Source: Flight International