An Atlas V rocket launch attempt has been scrubbed due to a massive storm with heavy rains and high winds expected at Vandenberg Air Force Base at the Thursday night blastoff time.
The United Launch Alliance rocket will try again Friday night when weather had been expected to be better.
The launch weather office is calling for a 60-percent chance of unfavorable conditions for Friday’s attempt.
Mission managers called off the attempt Thursday afternoon, before crews began retracting the Space Launch Complex-3 mobile service tower from its place sheltering the rocket.
A ULA statement blamed the delay Thursday on “predicted violations of multiple weather criteria.”
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex-3 on South Base now is planned for 7:13 p.m. Friday. While the launch window remains classified, it reportedly does not extend past 8 p.m.
Launch times are based upon where a satellite needs to be placed in space.
This rocket will carry a top-secret payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, a mission dubbed NROL-35
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.