Boeing

Monday's inaugural launch of a Boeing Delta III rocket carrying a Galaxy X communications satellite has been postponed at least one day due to the threat of Hurricane Bonnie to Florida's east coast.

A new launch date will be determined at a later time. At such time, Boeing [NYSE:BA] will issue an advisory with the new launch date and time.

Bonnie was upgraded to a hurricane after its winds reached 75 mph. early this morning. "The storm is continuing to strengthen and becoming more organized," said Joel Tumbiolo, U.S. Air Force weather officer. "We will continue to monitor the system."

Preparations are underway at Cape Canaveral Air Station to protect the vehicle and other assets at Space Launch Complex 17, and other flight equipment.

The Delta III inaugural vehicle is carrying a PanAmSat Corporation communications satellite manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications Company. The satellite will provide communications services to the 50 United States and the Caribbean.

Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, based in Huntington Beach, Calif., leads the Delta III program. The Delta Launch Team at Cape Canaveral Air Station handles launch coordination and operations.

Note to Editors: Christine Nelson or Walt Rice can be reached via pager at (800) 759-8888, PIN 1738783 and PIN 1305400, respectively.

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