The scheduled launch of a rocket carrying a reconnaissance satellite into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County that was originally scheduled for Friday and reset for Saturday was called off at T-minus 7 seconds due to a problem detected by the Terminal Countdown Sequencer Rack, according to United Launch Alliance. The planned launch of a 233-foot-tall, 1.6-million-pound United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket on Friday was delayed about three hours before it was set to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base with a top secret satellite, authorities said. In the statement, ULA said the abort was “due to an unexpected condition during terminal count at approximately 7.5 seconds before liftoff. The upcoming mission from Vandenberg, located around 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, is codenamed NROL-71 by the National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the U.S. government’s classified intelligence-gathering satellites.
The ULA launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-71 mission is called off 7 seconds before liftoff time.