spacetoday.net: Winds postpone Vega launch

Posted: Sat, May 4, 2013, 9:19 AM ET (1319 GMT)
Vega rocket before second launch (Arianespace)

High upper-level winds forced controllers to scrub Friday night's scheduled launch of Europe's Vega small launch vehicle from French Guiana. Vega was slated to lift off at 10:06 pm EDT Friday (0206 GMT Saturday) carrying the small satellites for Europe and Vietnam. However, winds at upper levels of the atmosphere exceeded limits, and controllers postponed the launch. A new launch date was not immediately announced and will be "based on the evolution of the weather conditions," according to an Arianespace statement. The rocket, making its second launch, is carrying two small earth sciences spacecraft. Proba-V for ESA and VNREDSat-1 for Vietnam, as well as an Estonian student cubesat.