Tag: Earth Science

Flying for the 155th and final time, a United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket took off from California on Sept. 15 with NASA’s ICESat 2 satellite. The 128-foot-tall (39-meter) Delta 2 rocket climbed away from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 6:02 a.m. PDT (9:02 a.m. EDT; 1302 GMT) on Sept. 15, riding around…

The Delta 2 rocket launched Saturday featured four strap-on solid rocket boosters. ULA chief executive Tory Bruno said the same version of the Delta 2 will go on public display in Florida. Credit: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance plans to assemble leftover parts for a Delta 2 rocket display at the Kennedy Space Center…

A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket lifted off at 6:02 a.m. PDT (9:02 a.m. EDT; 1302 GMT) Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: Alex Polimeni/Spaceflight Now A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket fired away from a California military base and disappeared into an overcast cloud deck Saturday on its final flight,…

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket with NASA’s ICESat 2 satellite to measure global ice sheets. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. NASA TV’s live broadcast of the Delta 2 launch begins at 5:10 a.m. PDT (8:10 a.m. EDT; 1210 GMT).

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Delta 2 rocket launched for the final time at 6:02 a.m. PDT (9:02 a.m. EDT; 1302 GMT) Saturday. Michael Freilich, head of NASA’s Earth science division, signs a star decal on the side of the Delta 2 rocket. ULA added 167 stars to the rocket, each containing up to five signatures from engineers,…

Artist’s illustration of the ICESat 2 satellite and its six green laser beams designed to measure the height of ice sheets. Credit: NASA The satellite awaiting launch early Saturday from California aboard the final flight of the venerable Delta 2 rocket should allow scientists to more precisely track changes in our planet’s ice sheets, using…

Technicians open and inspect the flight door to ICESat 2’s laser instrument shortly after the spacecraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, in June. Credit: USAF 30th Space Wing/Timothy Trenkle NASA’s ICESat 2 satellite has been bolted atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California as ground…