June 19, 2001

Dolores Beasley 
NASA Headquarters 
202/358-1753

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center
321/867-2468

Susan Hendrix
Goddard Space Flight Center
301/286-7745

Barron Beneski
Orbital Sciences Corporation
703/406-5528

KSC Release No. 67-01

LAUNCH OF HESSI SPACECRAFT POSTPONED

The launch of NASA's High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) spacecraft aboard an Orbital Sciences air-launched Pegasus XL vehicle has been postponed. 

NASA's Expendable Vehicle Program Office at the Kennedy Space Center has concluded that it would be prudent to wait until the X 43 failure board has released preliminary results and findings. This decision was reached in consultation with the Explorer Project at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.

Once the failure review board has completed its analysis, the conclusions can be evaluated to determine if any aspects are relevant to the Pegasus/HESSI vehicle. A final engineering review will begin at that time after which a launch date can be established.

The Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft carrying the Pegasus/HESSI vehicle will return to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, June 21.

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