Finally...
The Delta II rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2W at
Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA at 0322 PDT carrying the NOAA-N
Earth-observing satellite. Following a nominal 65-minute flight,
the rocket deployed the spacecraft to a circular orbit with a
Sun-synchronous inclination.
The satellite will collect data on Earth's atmosphere, surface
and cloud cover for the National Environmental Satellite, Data and
Information Service (NESDIS).
“Satellites such as NOAA-N are critical to the continual
monitoring and data collection of weather and surface activities
here on Earth,” said Dan Collins, vice president of Boeing
Expendable Launch Systems. “Our Delta team did an exceptional
job preparing this important mission, marking our first West Coast
launch this year.”
The NOAA-N spacecraft is equipped with advanced instruments to
provide improved weather forecasting and monitor environmental
events worldwide. It is the fourth in the series of five
polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding
capabilities. The satellite will collect and transmit
meteorological data to NOAA's NESDIS for the National Weather
Service. NOAA-N will also support the Search and Rescue
Satellite-Aided Tracking System to monitor distress signals
worldwide.
The three-stage Delta II launch vehicle used for today's mission
featured a Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine, an Aerojet AJ10-118K
second-stage engine, a Thiokol Star 48B third-stage motor, three
Alliant Techsystems solid rocket motors, and a 10-foot diameter
composite payload fairing.
NOAA-N was launched on behalf of
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's Polar Operational
Environmental Satellite program. The spacecraft was built by
Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
The next Delta launch will either be the GPS IIR-14 mission
aboard a Delta II rocket or the GOES-N mission aboard a Delta IV
rocket. Both are being assigned launch dates from Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, Fla.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses.
Headquartered in St. Louis , Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a
$30.5 billion business. It provides network-centric system
solutions to its global military, government, and commercial
customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance systems; the world's largest military aircraft
manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a
leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems
integrator for US missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a
global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.