Atlas V Fuel Leak Delays Launch

United Launch Alliance is gearing up to launch an Atlas V rocket early this morning. The launch is currently scheduled for 5:19 AM EST after being delayed due to a fuel leak. The fuel leak caused a two-day delay.

The mission, STP-3, was originally scheduled for launch on Sunday, December 5. However, the launch was delayed after crews discovered a fuel leak in the ground system that stored rocket propellant at Cape Canaveral.

Crews worked to fix the leak and verified everything was fine with the fuel system, but that caused a 48-hour delay. The mission is putting a pair of satellites into orbit carrying a range of technology demonstration payloads.

Most of the payloads are sponsored by the Department of Defense Space Test Program. That means several of the payloads are classified, but one of the satellites isn’t and is a new NASA laser-communication system along with another satellite meant to detect nuclear detonations from space.