NASA reschedules Va. rocket launch for Thursday

ATLANTIC — NASA will make another attempt to launch a satellite designed to detect hidden enemy weapons and inform U.S. troops of their location.

The Air Force TacSet-3 satellite had been scheduled to blast off between 8 and 11 p.m. yesterday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Atlantic. But rainy weather forced NASA to scrap the launch.

NASA says on its Wallops Web site that the launch has been rescheduled for tomorrow. The agency didn’t provide a time for the next attempt.

Scientists say the 880-pound satellite atop the $60 million Minotaur 1 rocket will offer hyperspectral images and deliver them in 10 minutes.

Military officials say if the satellite is successful, it could be ready for battlefield use in a year or two.