Air Force and industry officials will likely require until at least mid August to resolve a software issue associated with the Minotaur IV rocket design that has delayed the launch of the space based space surveillance satellite, according to press reports. Air Force officials scrubbed the July 8 launch mission from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., after tests of a Minotaur IV intended for a different mission showed a timing flaw in its flight software. While the chances were considered miniscule that the software issue would have impacted the Minotaur IV being used for the SBSS’ placement into low Earth orbit, Air Force officials decided to take no chances and opted to have a software patch created, reports the Lompoc Record. (See also Spaceflight Now report)
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
