[Launch Alert] Vandenberg Launch Successful

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		             kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	               http://www.spacearchive.info

				            2007 December 9 (Sunday) 19:57 PST
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      BOEING LAUNCHES SECOND ITALIAN EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE
                         Boeing News Release

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 08, 2007 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], through its
commercial launch business, today successfully launched the second of
four Italian Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin
Observation (COSMO) SkyMed spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket for
Thales Alenia Space Italia.

Lift-off occurred at 6:31 p.m. Pacific time from Pad SLC-2W at
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. A Delta II 7420-10 configuration
launch vehicle procured from United Launch Alliance deployed the
COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft to low-Earth orbit approximately 58 minutes
after liftoff.

"This successful Delta launch for the COSMO-SkyMed program once again
illustrates the healthy partnership Boeing has with Italian industry
and with the United Launch Alliance," said Roger Krone, president of
Network and Space Systems, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. "The
work we do with Thales Alenia Space on manned spaceflight systems and
satellite missions reaffirms the value of the expertise TAS brings to
the global space industry."

Boeing Launch Services launched the first COSMO-SkyMed satellite in
June and plans to support the launch of the third satellite in 2008.

"The launch of the second COSMO-SkyMed satellite moves this
significant project for Italian science, commerce and security another
step closer to completion," said Brewster Shaw, vice president and
general manager, Boeing Space Exploration. "Congratulations to the
COSMO-SkyMed launch team for another successful mission of the
reliable Delta II, providing assured access to space."

Thales Alenia Space Italia developed the COSMO-SkyMed program for the
Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence. It is an
end-to-end Earth observation dual-use (civil and military) system
comprised of four medium-sized satellites and supporting ground
stations for orbit control systems and data reception and processing.
The system will take imagery of the Earth using an X-Band Synthetic
Aperture Radar instrument capable of operating in all visibility
conditions at the request of institutional and commercial users,
including members of the civil and scientific, and defense
communities.

Boeing has a time-honored relationship with Thales Alenia Space. The
company has provided Delta II tanks since 2001 and built many elements
for the International Space Station, including the Multi-purpose
Pressurized Logistics Modules, Cupola and Harmony Node 2. Recently,
the Harmony Node 2 module was installed on the International Space
Station, for which Boeing is the prime contractor.

Boeing Launch Services is a customer-focused organization that
combines strategic planning, business development and sales for Delta
commercial launch service customers. It is part of the Space
Exploration division of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and is based
in Huntington Beach, Calif.

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Copyright © 2007 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
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