[Launch Alert] Delta II Lauched

[Brian Webb]

TEAM V LAUNCHES DELTA II 

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.-Vandenberg launched a Delta II rocket
carrying the Thales Alenia Space-Italia COSMO-SkyMed Satellite, Friday, Nov.
5, at 7:20 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-2 on North Vandenberg.  

This launch is the fourth and final for COSMO-SkyMed.  

"This was a critical launch for completing the COSMO-SkyMed constellation
and Team Vandenberg performed brilliantly," said Col. Richard Boltz, 30th
Space Wing commander. 

The overall objective of the COSMO-SkyMed program is global Earth
observation, particularly in the Mediterranean area. Some applications
include territorial surveillance; analyzing effects of natural disasters;
coastal surveillance to assess erosion and sea/river pollution, monitoring
of farming, forestry resources and urban buildings; mapping with a
resolution on the order of one meter; and territorial security and strategic
defense.

The three other COSMO-SkyMed satellites were launched from Vandenberg in
June 2007, December 2007 and October 2008.

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UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE LAUNCHES 350TH DELTA IN PROGRAM'S 50-YEAR HISTORY

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., (Nov. 5, 2010) - For the 350th time in
its illustrious 50- year program history, a Delta rocket launched from U.S.
soil, adding another chapter to one of the most successful rocket launch
programs in American history. The 350th mission was a United Launch Alliance
Delta II rocket launching the fourth Italian-built Constellation of Small
Satellites for Mediterranean Basin Observation (COSMO-SkyMed 4) satellite
from Space Launch Complex-2 at 7:20 p.m. PDT today. ULA successfully
launched the first three COSMO-SkyMed satellites on Delta II vehicles June
7, 2007, Dec. 8, 2007, and Oct. 24, 2008. 

The mission was procured by Boeing Launch Services and was launched for the
Italian Space Agency, the Italian Ministry of Defence and Thales Alenia
Space.  

The first Delta launch took place on May 13, 1960.  The Delta II used today
has demonstrated a 98.6 percent success rate and, while ULA launches one
mission at a time, COSMO-SkyMed 4 marks the 93rd successful launch of a
Delta II dating back to 1997.  

 "Today's successful launch of the Cosmo-SkyMed-4 mission was the 350th
Delta launch, which has provided an exceptional highlight to the year-long
50th anniversary celebration of the Delta program," said Jim Sponnick, ULA
vice president, Mission Operations. "The Delta system has achieved an
extremely impressive track record of mission success over the last five
decades. This achievement was made possible by the outstanding skills and
hard work of our engineers and technicians along with the tremendous support
we receive from our government, industry, and supplier mission partners.
The ULA team is very pleased to have successfully launched the fourth
COSMO-SkyMed satellite for Boeing, the Italian Space Agency, Ministry of
Defence and Thales Alenia Space."

The ULA Delta II 7420-10 configuration vehicle featured a ULA first stage
booster powered by a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and four
Alliant Techsystems (ATK) strap-on solid rocket boosters. An Aerojet
AJ10-118K engine powered the second stage. The payload was encased by a
10-foot-diameter composite payload fairing.
COSMO-SkyMed 4 is the final satellite in the initial constellation for this
system. Each of the four satellites is equipped with a high-resolution
Synthetic Aperture Radar operating in X-band.  The overall objective of the
program is global Earth observation and relevant data responding to the
needs of the military and scientific community, as well as to the public
demand for environmental control.

Formed in 2006, ULA combines the successful Atlas and Delta expendable
launch vehicle programs offering cost-effective and reliable launch services
to U.S. government customers, including the Department of Defense, NASA, the
National Reconnaissance Office and other commercial organizations. ULA's
next launch is the Delta IV Heavy mission for the NRO, scheduled to launch
Nov. 16, from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Fla. 
ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are
headquartered in Denver, Colo.  Manufacturing, assembly and integration
operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Texas and San Diego,
Calif.  Launch operations are located at CCAFS, Fla., and VAFB, Calif.

For more information on the ULA joint venture, visit the ULA Web site at
www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321
(852-4321).

 

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