An equipment malfunction or software glitch probably caused the mishap that cracked a satellite's solar panels during preflight testing, the mission's project manager said Friday. The 850-pound spacecraft was undergoing a test Tuesday to ensure it could withstand launch when a vibration table at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory applied 10 times more force than was intended. Next Launch A Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS is scheduled to launch a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office on Sept. 8 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Visit the Tracking Station for a full listing of upcoming launches. New prediction of asteroid's damage from Earth strike.
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