Delta IV rocket: Launch of NASA Delta IV rocket Saturday at Kennedy Space Center Florida

Kennedy Space Center, Florida - A Delta IV rocket launch is being pushed back to Saturday to give engineers time to work a minor technical problem and a storm system time to pass through the central Florida area.

The 217-foot-tall rocket and its payload -- a military communications satellite -- are scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:23 p.m. Saturday. The launch window would extend until 8:47 p.m.

The weather forecast, however, is not great. There is an 60 percent chance rain showers and electrically charged clouds could force a delay. That's better, though, than the 80 percent chance weather conditions would prohibit a launch Friday night.

Engineers are sorting out a ground launch control system glitch that ultimately forced the scrub of an initial launch attempt Thursday.

The Delta IV had been set to launch at 7:22 p.m. Thursday by stiff high-altitude winds and thick electrically charged clouds kept a countdown on hold. The launch control system glitch came as the close of the launch window Thursday approached.

Mission managers met early today and decided to scrap plans to try to launch tonight. Managers believe the delay will give engineers time to replace a faulty electronics card that is part of a system used to monitor Delta IV telemetry data.

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