MOSCOW, April 11 (AVN) - The launch of the US Atlas-III booster rocket with the Russian RD-180 liquid-propellant engine, originally scheduled for Friday, has been postponed for about a month, Vladimir Chvanov, first deputy constructor- and director-general of the Russian Energomash company, said on Tuesday.
The Russian delegation was already in Moscow's Sheremetyevo-2 airport waiting for a plane to the United States when it learned about the postponement, Chvanov told the Military News Agency.
Enegomash technicians who were at the cosmodrome and directly involved in preparations for the launch said the delay "is in no way connected with breaks in the work of the Russian engine." They claimed the preparations were progressing as planned.
The launch was postponed on request of designers of the satellite which was to be put into orbit by Atlas. They asked for more time to check the satellite systems once again.