An Atlas 5 launch from Vandenberg has slipped a week because trucks that normally supply liquid nitrogen to the base have been pressed into service transporting liquid oxygen to hospitals. Credit: ULA
A one-week delay in the launch of the next Landsat satellite on an Atlas 5 is the result of a ripple effect in the supply chain caused by increased demand for liquid oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients.
NASA announced Aug. 27 that the launch of Landsat 9 on an Atlas 5 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California had slipped a week, from Sept. 16 to no earlier than Sept. 23, because “pandemic demands for medical liquid oxygen have impacted the delivery of the needed liquid nitrogen supply.” Liquid nitrogen, or LN2, is used to create gaseous nitrogen needed to support launch site activities.
Liquid nitrogen shortage delays Landsat 9 launch – SpaceNews
