Boeing Delta II Launches NOAA Advanced Earth-Observing Satellite

Photo by Thom Baur © The Boeing Company

Vandenberg AFB, Calif. , May 20, 2005 — A Boeing Delta II rocket successfully launched the latest satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today. The Delta II rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at 3:22 a.m. 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).