The last DSP satellite undergoes testing at manufacturer TRW. The craft was lost in a launch failure. Photo: TRW

A super-sensitive U.S. military satellite was not contaminated by oil dripping from a launch pad crane last month at Cape Canaveral Air Station, inspectors announced Tuesday.

The $250 million Defense Support Program missile detection satellite has been given a clean bill of health and cleared for launch aboard a Titan 4B rocket on March 1, said Lt. Colleen Lehne, a U.S. Air Force spokeswoman.

Officials were worried the craft could have been damaged by oil that leaked from an overhead crane during routine pre-launch processing inside the cleanroom at Complex 40 on December 22.

Workers were preparing to install the last part of the rocket's three-section nose cone when they saw oil drops on the shroud pieces already mounted around the satellite.

Thorough inspections over the past week checked the satellite using ultraviolet and white light to look for oil contamination. Technicians also removed a protective bag to examine the satellite's sensor package.

The tests found no traces of oil and the sensor passed visually clean level 2 (VC2) standards, Lehne said.

Further inspections of the $432 million Titan 4B rocket revealed no additional oil residue. The drops on the nose cone were cleaned up and no permanent damage was caused.

With a diaper placed on the crane to prevent future leaks, the crane will used beginning Thursday to reinstall the rocket's 56-foot long nose cone around the satellite for launch.

Once in space, the TRW-built DSP satellite will be maneuvered into an orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth to detect missile launches, space launches and nuclear detonations using its infrared sensor.

The 33-foot tall craft and its sister-satellites are designed to give military authorities early warning of an impending missile attack.

The Air Force says the satellites were used heavily during Desert Storm. Throughout the war, DSPs detected the launch of Iraqi Scud missiles and warned civilians and troops in Israel and Saudi Arabia.

There have been 19 DSP satellites launched in the past 30 years, with four more awaiting liftoff through 2003.