Faulty radar equipment at the NASA station in Bermuda forced the launch of the first American rocket with a Russian engine to be aborted on Monday.

The Associated Press reported yesterday that the US Air Force was "scrambling'' to fix the problem, thought to be a bad electronic card, in time for another launch attempt yesterday evening.

But the countdown was brought to a halt last night because of "dangerously high winds and scattered thunderstorms'' in Florida.

Radar equipment in Bermuda is used to track rockets during their ascent but was not in proper working order during the launch attempt on Monday afternoon.

The Atlas III was being launched in front of 750 guests by Lockheed Martin Corporation at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida.

Monday's holdup has now delayed the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, which is set to take off at sunrise tomorrow to fix and boost the international space station.

A rocket commander spraining his ankle and windy weather conditions last month kept Atlantis grounded preventing it from carrying out its mission to carry replacement parts and batteries to the space station.

Weather forecasters last night predicted a 90 percent chance that weather conditions would be good for the launch of Atlas III this evening and Atlantis tomorrow.

Lockheed will be given three consecutive days to try to launch Atlas III, but only because it is the rocket's inaugural flight. After the third attempt, the company will be forced to give way to the space shuttle.

The Air Force needs one day between the Atlas III and Atlantis' launches, to switch its computer programmes.