U of C's Cassiope satellite launch delayed

The launch of a Canadian satellite the University of Calgary had a hand in developing has been postponed.

Cassiope, or theCascade SmallSat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer,was scheduled to be launched from California aboard a rocket but a test Friday showed the satellite wasn't quite ready to go.

The satellite's mission has been developed by the Canadian Space Agency together with several research organizations and 10 Canadian universities.

Led by the University of Calgary, the universities provided the scientific payload that will collect new data on space storms in the Earth's upper atmosphere and assess their impact on the ground.

The Canadian Space Agency says Cassiope will allow Canada to make a significant contribution to unravelling the mysteries of space weather.

Officials in California are now working on a new date for the satellite's launch.