Rocket Propellant Leak Occurs During Titan 4 Operation

LAUNCH PAD

Delta 4 DSCS III Launch Rescheduled To Aug 28
Cape Canaveral - The Delta IV rocket carrying a Defense Satellite Communications System has been rescheduled for Aug. 28. The specific launch window will be released at a later date. The alternate dates for the launch are Aug. 29 and 30. Earlier last week, the launch team had successfully completed the removal and replacement of an antenna associated with the rocket's flight termination system. The Eastern Range was able to accommodate Boeing's request for a new August launch date upon completion of that requirement.

Cape Canaveral - Aug 15, 2003
Rocket propellant leaked at Space Launch Complex No. 40 here at approximately 6 p.m. as the propellant was being loaded onto a Titan IV rocket.

At no time was there a risk to the general public. There were no injuries to personnel in the area. It is estimated that approximately 50 gallons of the propellant leaked, but the official amount will not be determined until the investigation of the incident is completed.

The second stage of the Titan IV uses nitrogen tetroxide, a toxic hypergolic oxidizer. The plume dissipated harmlessly before reaching populated areas of Kennedy Space Center, just west of SLC 40. As a precautionary measure, KSC officials were notified about the incident.

"Our emergency response team was immediately dispatched to the scene to secure the site and assess the potential risk to those at Cape Canaveral and the surrounding area," said Col. Ev Thomas, 45th Space Wing vice commander. "All those involved were in full protective equipment and were able to control the leak within minutes."

For every fuel loading operation, worst case scenarios are modeled by Range Safety personnel to ensure the overall safety and security of the operation. Calculations include weather conditions, amount of propellant and potential credible failures.

If at any time a condition exists that exceed established safety criteria, the operation is immediately halted. The cause of the leak is under investigation and the status of the Titan IV launch, which was scheduled for Aug. 18, is unknown at this time.

LAUNCH PAD

Atlas V Launches Rainbow 1 Satellite

Cape Canaveral - July 17, 2003
International Launch Services successfully launched the Rainbow 1 satellite Thursday evening at 7:45pm EDT (2345 GMT). This was the third flight for the Atlas V vehicle since the rocket debuted last summer. The satellite is an A2100 model, built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems of Newtown, Pa. Cablevision's RLDBS project will use the high-powered satellite to introduce its Rainbow direct-to-home broadcast services to the contiguous United States.

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