NASA rocket launch on Eastern Shore scrubbed again

ATLANTIC -- NASA has again scrubbed the launch of a rocket from Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Previous attempts to launch the rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility had been scrubbed every day since Monday because of bad weather. This time the launch was aborted with the countdown clock at just over two minutes because of a technical problem.

The next available launch window is May 19, NASA officials said. The rocket will eventually carry several satellites, including one designed to detect hidden enemy weapons.

Scientists say the 880-pound satellite atop the $60 million spacecraft will offer better images and deliver them quicker than other satellites.

If successful, the satellite could be developed for battlefield use in a year or two after its one-year orbit, according to scientists. It hopes to detect hidden tanks, buried explosives and other military equipment hidden by camouflage.

The Air Force TacSet-3 satellite was to be launched atop a 69-foot-high Minotaur 1 rocket. The rocket was also to carry two secondary science experiments, including one involving yeast cells.