Posted: Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 12:39 PM ET (1739 GMT)
The launch of three microsatellites on a Pegasus rocket was scrubbed Wednesday morning because of a problem with a pin on the launcher. The Pegasus XL was scheduled to launch from its carrier aircraft off the coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California and place the three Space Technology 5 (ST5) satellites into orbit. Less than one minute before the rocket was to be released from its aircraft, however, a pin used to secure a control flap on the rocket's first stage failed to retract as commanded. The L-1011 aircraft performed maneuvers in an effort to get the pin to retract, but controllers were forced to scrub the launch when the batteries that power the fin — designed to last only 90 seconds — were exhausted. Replacing the fins will delay the launch at least 48 hours; NASA has not announced a new launch date pending a resolution to the pin problem and the availability of the launch range. The three ST5 microsatellites are designed to test a number of spacecraft technologies while performing measurements of the Earth's magnetosphere.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now launch status center
•  SPACE.com article
•  AP article
•  NASA press release