Wildfire postpones launch of high-resolution satellite

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — A wildfire at a central California Air Force base forced the postponement of a satellite launch Sunday, officials said.

An Atlas 5 rocket was to carry WorldView-4 into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The satellite is designed to produce high-resolution images of Earth.

The fire in a remote canyon didn’t immediately threaten the space launch complex, Col. Paul Nosek said on the base’s Facebook page. But he said firefighters were not available to stand by at the launch.

Nearly 800 firefighters were trying to corral the fire that was slightly less than a square mile.

The launch will be postponed until at least Sept. 26, according to United Launch Alliance, a joint venture by Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co.

The satellite is the latest in a series of imaging satellites built by Lockheed Martin. Operated by Colorado-based DigitalGlobe, which provides images for government and private customers, it is designed to spot the make of a car from nearly 400 miles above Earth.