BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Delta 2 rocket with third COSMO-SkyMed radar imaging satellite for Italy. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2008

The third spacecraft for Italy's home-grown Earth observing system, a constellation of radar satellites built for civil and military reconnaissance, received a successful boost into orbit Friday by an American Delta 2 rocket.

The COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft roared away from the Vandenberg Air Force Base launch pad precisely on time at 7:28:25 p.m. local (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 0228:25 GMT).

See our launch photo gallery here.

With its two sister-satellites circling the planet in formation, COSMO 3 had only a split second launch opportunity Friday night to get airborne and ensure its proper placement into the orbiting network.

And the United Launch Alliance Delta 2 delivered, collecting its 84th straight success.

The two stages and four side-mounted boosters of the 12-story rocket did their jobs during the hour-long ascent that extended half-way around the globe, ultimately deploying the 4,200-pound payload into a 335-nautical mile orbit.

Developed by Thales Alenia Space Italia for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, the COSMO-SkyMed system is a flagship program with a 1 billion euro price tag.

"The proudness of the Italian parties is very, very high because the COSMO-SkyMed is the biggest space program realized in Italy," said Sandro Fagioli, vice president of Thales Alenia Space and general manager of the COSMO-SkyMed program.

"The design, the project, the technology is entirely Italian, 100 percent Italian."

Each satellite is equipped with an X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument for environmental monitoring, resource management and territorial security surveillance. They are capable of seeing the ground in daylight or darkness, with clear skies or cloudy ones.

The craft can produce 450 images per day, and Fagioli said the picture-collecting time between civil and military uses is proportional to the financial contributions made during development of the system. The Italian Space Agency funded about 70 percent and the Ministry of Defence provided about 30 percent.

Imagery released for civilian purposes have a resolution of 1 meter, meaning objects as small as that size can be seen. "The military application is a lot under a meter, but I cannot give the exact number because it is classified," Fagioli said.

Adding this third satellite into the constellation will enable operators to begin tandem observations that image the same area but at different angles. The result will be high-resolution three-dimensional images.

"We can make more-precise maps of the world," Fagioli said. "We can increase the accuracy."

The satellites already proved themselves beneficial to humanitarian organizations responding to recent natural disasters, such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, the devastating earthquake in China and Hurricanes Hannah and Ike that hit Haiti.

Once the constellation is completed in 2010, any specific region of the planet will be observed by the COSMO satellites every six hours, Fagioli said. That will allow authorities "to first understand, then arrange actions" when disasters strike.

The first two COSMO satellites were lofted into space by Delta 2 rockets in June and December 2007, respectively, and launch managers hoped Friday's third success would seal the deal to perform the fourth satellite-deployment mission in 2010.

"We do have more Deltas to sell," said Kris Walsh, ULA's director of NASA and commercial programs for the Delta rocket.

"I truly believe we are the preferred supplier, and hopefully we'll be able to make an announcement in the near-term," said Ken Heinly, Boeing Launch Services president. "We have an excellent working routine with the Italian agencies."

"We are working in order to negotiate the contract with Boeing to launch the fourth satellite," Fagioli said. "It is very probable that we will reach the agreement in a very short time. But until now, (we've) not yet signed the contract."

"Right now, the launch window we are looking at is between February and July of 2010," Heinly added.

Friday's launch was the fifth and final Delta 2 mission of the year. A pair of launches from Cape Canaveral took place in March and June, then a busy string of three flights from Vandenberg followed in the last four months.

The next launch will occur from the West Coast, too. The rocket will begin on-pad assembly in early December for a planned February 4 liftoff carrying the NOAA-N Prime civilian weather satellite for the U.S. government. The spacecraft is slated for delivery to Vandenberg on November 4, arriving from the Lockheed Martin manufacturing factory in Sunnyvale, California.

0359 GMT (11:59 p.m. EDT; 8:59 p.m. PDT)

From United Launch Alliance's post-launch news release, here's some quotes by Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Delta Product Line:

"ULA is pleased to have successfully launched the third of four critical Earth observation systems in this series for Boeing and Thales Alenia Space," Sponnick said. "With this 43rd successful commercial launch, the Delta 2 system continues its record of mission success, which is unparalleled in the U.S. space industry. This achievement is due to the hard work of our professional engineers and technicians along with the tremendous support we receive from our government, industry, and supplier mission partners. We look forward to many more Delta 2 launches in the years ahead."

0355 GMT (11:55 p.m. EDT; 8:55 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 87 minutes, 20 seconds. The fuel depletion burn by the second stage just occurred, bringing to a close the flight of this ULA Delta 2 rocket.

This firing by the rocket engine uses up remaining propellant to safe the stage until its eventual natural re-entry into the atmosphere. Such depletion maneuvers are performed because excess fuel left in rockets can cause explosions resulting giant clouds of dangerous space debris.

0345 GMT (11:45 p.m. EDT; 8:45 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 77 minutes. The second stage has successfully completed the burn to move out of the orbital plane of COSMO. This is known as the evasive burn, and puts the rocket into an elliptical orbit.

0336 GMT (11:36 p.m. EDT; 8:36 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 68 minutes. From the Air Force's post-launch news release, here's some quotes by Col. David Buck, 30th Space Wing commander at Vandenberg Air Force Base and the spacelift commander for tonight's mission:

"People don't always think about it, but this is rocket science, and our Airmen and industry partners make it look easy," Col. Buck said. "I'm blown away by the professionalism and dedication of all of Team Vandenberg."

"Once again Team Vandenberg was part of an international effort to assure our allies a gateway to space," Col. Buck said. "Each launch provides unique challenges to overcome, whether it's an engineering hurdle or language barrier. When it comes to launch night, however, Vandenberg delivers."

0330 GMT (11:30 p.m. EDT; 8:30 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 62 minutes. This is the 84th consecutive successful Delta 2 rocket launch dating back to May 1997. The Delta 2's overall history since debuting in 1989 has achieved 137 successes in 139 flights.

The next Delta 2 rocket launch is planned for February carrying the NOAA-N Prime weather satellite for NASA and NOAA.

0326 GMT (11:26 p.m. EDT; 8:26 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 58 minutes, 19 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The COSMO 3 spacecraft has been released from the Delta 2 rocket's second stage, completing tonight's launch!

Developed by Thales Alenia Space Italia for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, the COSMO-SkyMed system is a dual civilian and military Earth-imaging program that will use a fleet of four satellites. Each spacecraft will be equipped with an X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument for environmental monitoring, resource management and territorial surveillance.

A Delta 2 rocket successfully launched the COSMO 1 satellite in June 2007, followed by COSMO 2 last December.

0325 GMT (11:25 p.m. EDT; 8:25 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 57 minutes. The deployment of COSMO from the Delta second stage is a two-step process. The payload attach fitting's clampband will be released at T+plus 57 minutes, 30 seconds. A set of secondary latches then disengage at T+plus 58 minutes, allowing the satellite to physically separate from the rocket.

The second stage then performs a retro maneuver to back away from COSMO. That will be followed by a firing of the stage's engine to move the rocket further away from the spacecraft and then another firing to deplete the remaining fuel supply as a safety measure.

0324 GMT (11:24 p.m. EDT; 8:24 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 56 minutes. The rocket is orienting itself to the proper position for release of COSMO.

0322 GMT (11:22 p.m. EDT; 8:22 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 53 minutes, 47 seconds. SECO 2. The orbit adjustment burn occurred as planned over Madagascar.

0322 GMT (11:22 p.m. EDT; 8:22 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 53 minutes, 35 seconds. The second stage engine has ignited for the 12-second firing to propel its 4,200-pound spacecraft payload into the proper polar orbit.

0320 GMT (11:20 p.m. EDT; 8:20 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 52 minutes. The second stage has completed its BBQ roll.

0318 GMT (11:18 p.m. EDT; 8:18 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 50 minutes, 10 seconds. The Delta 2 rocket is 329 miles in altitude, over 10,000 miles downrange from the launch site and traveling at 15,823 mph.

0317 GMT (11:17 p.m. EDT; 8:17 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 49 minutes, 20 seconds. Hartebeesthoek has picked up the rocket's signal as it flies northbound.

0316 GMT (11:16 p.m. EDT; 8:16 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 48 minutes. The second stage will be reigniting its engine for 12 seconds over Madagascar.

0311 GMT (11:11 p.m. EDT; 8:11 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 43 minutes. The next firing by the Delta rocket's second stage is coming up in 10 minutes. The Hartebeesthoek tracking station in South Africa should acquire the rocket in about six minutes. The site will relay the rocket's signal back to Vandenberg to provide confirmation of the second stage burn and release of the COSMO satellite.

0303 GMT (11:03 p.m. EDT; 8:03 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 35 minutes. The rocket is crossing Antarctica now as it flies in a polar orbit around Earth. A map of the rocket's planned flight path is available here.

0258 GMT (10:58 p.m. EDT; 7:58 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 30 minutes. The rocket is coasting until the second stage restarts its engine at T+plus 53 minutes, 27 seconds for a brief 12-second firing to put the vehicle into a near-circular orbit 340 miles above Earth. Deployment of COSMO from the launch vehicle is expected 58 minutes after liftoff.

0248 GMT (10:48 p.m. EDT; 7:48 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 20 minutes. As the rocket coasts in this parking orbit, it performs a "BBQ roll" maneuver to keep the thermal conditions on the vehicle equal. This maneuver was scheduled to start at about T+plus 19 minutes, 20 seconds and conclude at T+plus 51 minutes, 25 seconds.

0243 GMT (10:43 p.m. EDT; 7:43 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 15 minutes. As the rocket passes out of range from the tracking vessel, a data blackout is created until the Delta's signal is acquired via a South African ground station a half-hour from now.

0242 GMT (10:42 p.m. EDT; 7:42 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 14 minutes. The key events during the first and second stages of flight have occurred at the intended times, ULA says.

0240 GMT (10:40 p.m. EDT; 7:40 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 12 minutes, 10 seconds. The Delta 2 rocket is 100 miles in altitude, 1,546 miles south from the launch pad with a velocity of 16,954 mph.

0240 GMT (10:40 p.m. EDT; 7:40 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 11 minutes, 45 seconds. SECO 1 has been confirmed. The second stage's Aerojet-made engine completed its initial burn for the launch. Delta and COSMO have reached orbit.

0238 GMT (10:38 p.m. EDT; 7:38 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 10 minutes, 20 seconds. An instrumented ship positioned in the Pacific more than 1,000 miles southwest of California has acquired the rocket's telemetry signal as the Delta travels away from Vandenberg.

The mobile tracker is outfitted with an equipment package called an Ocean-going Transportable Test and evaluation Resource, or OTTR. The vessel is needed to receive the stream of data from the Delta 2's second stage after the rocket flies beyond the horizon of Vandenberg's ground station and reaches a preliminary parking orbit around the planet.

0238 GMT (10:38 p.m. EDT; 7:38 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 10 minutes. The vehicle is 1,061 miles downrange from the launch pad and traveling at 14,688 mph.

0237 GMT (10:37 p.m. EDT; 7:37 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 30 seconds. About two minutes remain in this burn of the second stage engine to achieve the intended parking orbit. The rocket is about 100 miles up, traveling at at 13,700 mph.

0235 GMT (10:35 p.m. EDT; 7:35 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 10 seconds. The second stage is firing normally.

0234 GMT (10:34 p.m. EDT; 7:34 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. Delta is 92.4 miles in altitude, 449 miles downrange from the launch pad and traveling at 11,300 mph.

0233 GMT (10:33 p.m. EDT; 7:33 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 10 seconds. The rocket's nose cone enclosing the spacecraft has been jettisoned.

0233 GMT (10:33 p.m. EDT; 7:33 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 40 seconds. The Delta's second stage engine has ignited!

0233 GMT (10:33 p.m. EDT; 7:33 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 36 seconds. MECO. The first stage main engine cutoff is confirmed, and the spent stage has been jettisoned!

0232 GMT (10:32 p.m. EDT; 7:32 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 10 seconds. Delta is 48 miles up, traveling at 7,970 mph.

0231 GMT (10:31 p.m. EDT; 7:31 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The first stage main engine still firing well. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne powerplant consumes kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen to produce about 200,000 pounds of thrust.

0231 GMT (10:31 p.m. EDT; 7:31 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The vehicle is 34 miles in altitude, 43 miles downrange from the launch pad and traveling at 4,100 mph.

0230 GMT (10:30 p.m. EDT; 7:30 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 35 seconds. Now 22 miles in altitude. The first stage main engine continues to burn normally.

0230 GMT (10:30 p.m. EDT; 7:30 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 35 seconds. The Delta 2 rocket is 15 miles in altitude and traveling over 1,300 mph.

0229 GMT (10:29 p.m. EDT; 7:29 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 30 seconds. The ground-lit boosters have jettisoned from the first stage. They remained attached until the rocket cleared off-shore oil rigs.

0229 GMT (10:29 p.m. EDT; 7:29 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 5 seconds. All four ground-start solid rocket boosters have burned out. The Delta 2's first stage RS-27A main engine is providing the sole thrust for the next few minutes.

0229 GMT (10:29 p.m. EDT; 7:29 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 50 seconds. The rocket has flown through the area of maximum aerodynamic pressure in the lower atmosphere. The vehicle is riding the power of its first stage main engine and the four strap-on boosters.

0228 GMT (10:28 p.m. EDT; 7:28 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 15 seconds. The Delta 2 rocket is maneuvering onto the correct course for proper placement of the satellite into the COSMO constellation.

0228:25 GMT (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 7:28:25 p.m. PDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the third COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft for Italy's civil and security Earth-observing system.

0227:55 GMT (10:27:55 p.m. EDT; 7:27:55 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 30 seconds. SRB ignitors will be armed at T-minus 11 seconds.

The launch ignition sequence will begin at T-minus 2 seconds when a launch team member triggers the engine start switch. The process begins with ignition of the two vernier thrusters and first stage main engine start. The four ground-lit solid rocket motors then light at T-0 for liftoff.

0227:25 GMT (10:27:25 p.m. EDT; 7:27:25 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 1 minute. All remains "go" for launch.

0227:05 GMT (10:27:05 p.m. EDT; 7:27:05 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 80 seconds. First stage liquid oxygen topping to 100 percent is underway.

0226:40 GMT (10:26:40 p.m. EDT; 7:26:40 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 1 minute, 45 seconds. The launch pad water suppression system is being activated.

0226:25 GMT (10:26:25 p.m. EDT; 7:26:25 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 2 minutes. The first stage liquid oxygen vents are now being closed so the LOX tank can be pressurized for launch. Puffs of vapor from a relief valve on the rocket will be seen in the remainder of the countdown as the tank pressure stabilizes.

0225:55 GMT (10:25:55 p.m. EDT; 7:25:55 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The COSMO payload have been declared "go" for launch.

0225:25 GMT (10:25:25 p.m. EDT; 7:25:25 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 3 minutes and counting down to the third Delta rocket launch for the COSMO-SkyMed system in 16 months.

0224:40 GMT (10:24:40 p.m. EDT; 7:24:40 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 3 minutes, 45 seconds and counting. The Delta 2 rocket's systems are now transferring to internal power for launch. And the launch pad water system is being enabled.

0224:25 GMT (10:24:25 p.m. EDT; 7:24:25 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 4 minutes and counting! Clocks are ticking down the final moments for liftoff of Delta 336 with the COSMO-SkyMed 3 spacecraft. Launch is set for 7:28 p.m. local time from California's Central Coast.

0223:25 GMT (10:23:25 p.m. EDT; 7:23:25 p.m. PDT)

Now five minutes from launch! The "go" has been given for release of the hold in one minute.

This evening's instantaneous launch opportunity occurs at 7:28:25 p.m. local (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 0228:25 GMT). The launch is precisely timed to put the payload into the proper orbital plane for the COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation. That means there's just a split second available for the rocket to lift off.

0222 GMT (10:22 p.m. EDT; 7:22 p.m. PDT)

The final pre-flight poll of the launch team confirms all systems are "ready" for an on-time liftoff of the Delta 2 rocket and COSMO 3 spacecraft.

0220 GMT (10:20 p.m. EDT; 7:20 p.m. PDT)

Flight Director Rick Navarro and Mission Director Hieu Lam have gone through their management polls.

0218:25 GMT (10:18:25 p.m. EDT; 7:18:25 p.m. PDT)

Now 10 minutes from launch. This will be:

• The 336th Delta rocket launch since 1960
• The fifth Delta of 2008
• The 139th Delta 2 rocket mission since 1989
• The fifth commercial Delta 2 conducted by ULA for Boeing Launch Services

0214:25 GMT (10:14:25 p.m. EDT; 7:14:25 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 4 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the final planned built-in hold. This is a scheduled 10-minute pause leading to today's liftoff time of 7:28:25 p.m. local (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 0228:25 GMT) for the Delta 2 rocket with COSMO 3.

The weather is perfect, upper level winds are within limits and ULA says there are no technical constraints.

0213 GMT (10:13 p.m. EDT; 7:13 p.m. PDT)

The COSMO 3 spacecraft is undergoing final configuring for launch.

0209 GMT (10:09 p.m. EDT; 7:09 p.m. PDT)

The first stage kerosene fuel tank is being pressurized for flight.

0203 GMT (10:03 p.m. EDT; 7:03 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 15 minutes and counting. Countdown clocks are running again following the planned 20-minute hold. The count will continue to the T-minus 4 minute mark where another planned hold is scheduled. Launch remains set to occur at 7:28:25 p.m. local (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 0228:25 GMT).

0159 GMT (9:59 p.m. EDT; 6:59 p.m. PDT)

The "go" has been given restart the countdown as scheduled.

0143 GMT (9:43 p.m. EDT; 6:43 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 15 minutes and holding. Clocks have entered the first of two planned hold periods during the final portion of the Terminal Countdown. This pause will last 20 minutes in duration.

These holds are designed to give the launch team a chance to deal with any problems and catch up on work that could be running behind schedule.

But United Launch Alliance says everything is proceeding smoothly with no problems to report on this night.

0134 GMT (9:34 p.m. EDT; 6:34 p.m. PDT)

The launch team is beginning the "slew" or steering checks of the first and second stage engines. These are gimbal tests of the nozzles on the first stage main engine and twin vernier engines and second stage engine to ensure the rocket will be able to steer itself during launch.

0128 GMT (9:28 p.m. EDT; 6:28 p.m. PDT)

Sixty minutes to launch. Today marks the 225th launch boosted by the RS-27 family of engines built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. The Delta 2 rocket uses the RS-27A main engine for the initial four-and-a-half minutes of flight.

The COSMO 3 satellite is relying on the kerosene-fueled engine to ascend the first 60 miles during its climb upward to space.

"Powering this flight in support of United Launch Alliance, ASI and the Italian Defense Ministry is very rewarding, and we are honored to be part of a mission that will help our international friends better prepare and respond to disasters," said Elizabeth Jones, RS-27 program manager at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.

0111 GMT (9:11 p.m. EDT; 6:11 p.m. PDT)

Loading of the first stage liquid oxygen tank has concluded, and now the Delta 2 rocket stands fully fueled its launch of the COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft at 7:28 p.m. local (10:28 p.m. EDT; 0228 GMT).

The vehicle's first stage was successfully loaded with RP-1 kerosene fuel earlier today. The second stage was filled with its storable nitrogen tetroxide and Aerozine 50 fuels a few days ago. And the four strap-on booster rockets are solid-propellant.

0058 GMT (8:58 p.m. EDT; 5:58 p.m. PDT)

Liftoff is just 90 minutes away. The second stage's fuel and oxidizer tanks, which were filled with storable propellants earlier this week, have been pressurized for launch.

0050 GMT (8:50 p.m. EDT; 5:50 p.m. PDT)

The rocket's guidance and control system has been brought online as the approximate 25-minute process to load the first stage liquid oxygen tank continues.

0044 GMT (8:44 p.m. EDT; 5:44 p.m. PDT)

Cryogenic liquid oxygen, chilled to Minus-298 degrees F, has started flowing from a 28,000-gallon storage tank at Space Launch Complex-2, through plumbing and into the bottom of the Delta 2 rocket. The LOX will be consumed by the first stage main engine during the first four-and-a-half minutes of flight along with the 10,000 gallons of RP-1 kerosene already loaded aboard the vehicle.

0038 GMT (8:38 p.m. EDT; 5:38 p.m. PDT)

The launch team is beginning preparations for fill the rocket's first stage liquid oxygen tank as scheduled.

0028 GMT (8:28 p.m. EDT; 5:28 p.m. PDT)

Now two hours from launch of the COSMO-SkyMed 3 satellite and the countdown is still looking good.

Pressurization of the first stage helium and nitrogen systems has been completed. The stage was loaded with 10,000 gallons of highly refined kerosene fuel earlier in the day prior to rollback of the mobile service tower.

2328 GMT (7:28 p.m. EDT; 4:28 p.m. PDT)

The Delta 336 vehicle carrying the COSMO 3 spacecraft is set for launch three hours from now, as the Terminal Countdown now gets underway for this evening's flight.

2228 GMT (6:28 p.m. EDT; 3:28 p.m. PDT)

T-minus 150 minutes and holding. At this time, the countdown is scheduled to enter a planned 60-minute built-in hold. The Terminal Countdown begins once the hold concludes.

Launch remains targeted for 7:28 p.m. local (10:28 p.m. EDT; 0228 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

2145 GMT (5:45 p.m. EDT; 2:45 p.m. PDT)

An Air Force photo of the Delta rocket taken earlier today following tower rollback can be seen here.

1930 GMT (3:30 p.m. EDT; 12:30 p.m. PDT)

Under beautiful clear skies, countdown preparations are underway at Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex-2 for this evening's liftoff of the Delta 2 rocket carrying Italy's COSMO 3 spacecraft.

The 177-foot tall mobile service tower has been retracted from the United Launch Alliance-built rocket. The gantry was used to stack the two-stage vehicle, the four strap-on solid rocket motors and the COSMO payload atop the pad's launch mount. The tower also provided the primary weather protection and worker access to the rocket during its stay at the oceanside complex on North Vandenberg.

Ground teams will spend the next couple of hours getting the pad secured in advance of the Terminal Countdown. Launch remains targeted for exactly 7:28:25 p.m. local (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 0228:25 GMT).

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008

Busy ground crews challenged with a quick schedule to prepare a Delta 2 rocket for launch are ready to see the fruits of their labor soar into space Friday evening from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Having successfully flown a rocket about seven weeks ago, the United Launch Alliance team rapidly reset the pad, assembled another Delta and put the Italian satellite cargo aboard. Now, the workers are poised to start the countdown.

It's a pace not seen on the West Coast since the commercial heydays of the late 90's, when Delta 2 rockets were shooting off one after another from the Space Launch Complex-2 pad to deploy the Iridium mobile telephone constellation.

In fact, Friday's blastoff will be the third in just four months.

"I just have to commend the SLC-2 team. This is the third (launch) in a row with pretty quick turnarounds, this was the quickest, and they have just really performed flawlessly with whatever we threw at them," said Kris Walsh, ULA's director of NASA and commercial programs for the Delta rocket.

"Between the Iridium days and now, the crew (size) has gone down significantly. We used to have a totally autonomous team here during the Iridium campaign, and now it's quite a bit lower than that."

In today's business climate, the Delta program shares workers between Vandenberg and the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Friday's precise liftoff time is 7:28:25 p.m. local (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 0228:25 GMT). But the work day will begin many hours before the 12-story rocket thunders into the nighttime sky.

Technicians plan to load highly refined kerosene fuel into the first stage around 9 a.m. local time, followed by procedures to prepare the mobile service gantry for its retraction from around the rocket. The tower rollback is anticipated to occur around 12 noon local (3 p.m. EDT; 1900 GMT).

Weather forecasters are predicting 10-15 knot winds, well within the limit of 26 knots for removing the tower to reveal the rocket.

The Terminal Countdown will start at 4:28 p.m. local time (7:28 p.m. EDT; 2328 GMT), beginning the formal three-hour process to bring the rocket to life, load the liquid oxygen for the main engine, conduct extensive final testing and then send it to space.

Mission managers met on Thursday to review the status of pre-launch work and give approval to enter into the countdown operation.

"We are working no issues, the spacecraft is working no issues, the Range is working no issues. So we are looking good," Walsh said in an interview Thursday.

The launch time weather outlook says there's a 100 percent chance of acceptable conditions, with just some thin high-level cirrus clouds and a temperature in the mid-60s F.

"The thermal trough is centered over the California coast providing Vandenberg with clear skies and above normal temperatures," the Air Force weather team reported.

"On Friday, a typical sea breeze wind pattern will setup for (mobile service tower) roll. Winds will start out from the northeast in early morning and shift to northwest by late morning at 10-15 knots. By T-0, the winds will turn to the north-northwest but remain at 10-15 knots. Visibility will remain favorable through the count with only a few upper-level clouds.

"Max upper-level winds will be east-southeast at 20 knots at 35,000 feet with no significant wind shear. No precipitation is forecast at the pad or along the flight path."

Bolted atop the rocket is the third of Italy's four COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft. The satellites are equipped to collect radar images of the Earth's surface for commercial and military uses.

Developed by Thales Alenia Space Italia for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, the COSMO-SkyMed system features X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar instruments on the satellites for environmental monitoring, resource management and territorial surveillance.

The previous two satellites in the COSMO series also launched aboard Delta 2 rockets from Vandenberg, successfully lifting off in June and December 2007. Another good launch Friday would help ensure Delta sweeps the series of contract battles and wins the right to deploy the fourth and final craft, too.

"What we're going to do is put their third one right where they want it," said Ken Heinly, Boeing Launch Services president. "We have been working with them and we feel as though we are closing in (on the fourth contract). I truly believe we are the preferred supplier, and hopefully we'll be able to make an announcement in the near-term."

United Launch Alliance is conducting the rocket flight while Boeing manages the commercial contract for the Italian customer. ULA was formed in December 2006 to merge Boeing's Delta and Lockheed Martin's Atlas rocket families under one joint venture to cut the cost for U.S. government space launches. The parent companies have retained the ability to sell the rockets on the commercial marketplace, such as the COSMO flights.

Key dignitaries are expected to attend the launch in person, cheering on the rocket and COSMO.

"Once again we are having a significant amount of folks coming from Italy, from Thales Alenia Space, the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence. Everybody is looking forward to a successful launch Friday evening," Heinly said.

The Delta rocket will be flying in its configuration known as the 7420-10 vehicle. The two-stage launcher is fitted with four strap-on solid-propellant motors and a 10-foot diameter composite nose cone.

After quickly climbing away from its coastal pad, the rocket will soar southward over the Pacific Ocean. The four solid boosters burn out and separate less than 90 seconds into the flight about 15 nautical miles up, leaving the kerosene-powered main engine to continue pushing the rocket to an altitude of 60 miles. The spent stage then jettisons to let the hydrazine-fueled second stage ignite.

Within 12 minutes, the vehicle settles into an initial 100 x 348 nautical mile parking orbit along a trajectory the cruises above the South Pacific before crossing Antarctica and then proceeding northbound toward Africa. The second stage reignites its engine for 12 seconds over Madagascar to reach a near-circular polar orbit 335 nautical miles above the planet.

The 4,200-pound payload is expected to be released from the rocket 58 minutes after blastoff.

Watch this page for live updates during the countdown and COSMO 3's trek to orbit aboard the Delta rocket.