NASA has announced that, due to current and expected weather conditions, they are delaying the ICON launch attempt by 24 hours. Primary drop time is now Thursday October 10th, 9:30PM Eastern; the range will make Friday October 11th, same time, available as a backup.

NASA and Northrop Grumman coordinated with the U.S. Air Force Eastern Range for an earlier launch date for the agency’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ICON is now targeted for launch on Oct. 9, 2019, aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket carried by the company’s L-1011 Stargazer aircraft.

NASA and Northrop Grumman currently are preparing the agency’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, spacecraft and the Pegasus XL rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for ferry to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida by the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft on Oct. 1, 2019. The launch has been rescheduled to Oct. 10, 2019, following the completion of a joint NASA/Northrop Grumman investigation into a Pegasus sensor reading that was not within normal limits during previous ferry and launch attempt flights.

On Nov. 19, Northrop Grumman flew the L-1011 Stargazer and Pegasus XL rocket carrying ICON back to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. On Nov. 20, they completed the de-mate of Pegasus from the L-1011 and transported the rocket safely into the integration facility. The Northrop Grumman/NASA team continues its investigation into the off-nominal data observed during the Nov. 7 launch attempt. Once the analysis is complete, a new launch date will be determined.

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