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 U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…