Eumetsat announced Oct. 2 that the planned launch of the MetOp satellite would be delayed again after the spacecraft and the launch vehicle’s upper stage experienced a slight mechanical shock.
The vehicle has been scheduled for an Oct. 7 launch, but the upper composite of the launch vehicle will be returned to the clean room for inspection. No apparent problems have been reported, though a mechanical analysis and assessment of possible impacts of the incident on the flight hardware will be conducted, Eumetsat said.
If conclusions are positive and given confirmation by launch provider Starsem, a new launch date could be announced by Oct. 4.
MetOp’s launch from Baikonur, Russia, aboard a Soyuz launcher was called off after three attempts in July because of technical issues relating to the launch vehicle’s ground system. Those issues subsequently solved, a review of the overall ground system validation process is now underway, and the Soyuz launcher has been completely refurbished and transported back to the launch site.
