NewsAlert Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop. Enter your e-mail address: Privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose. Spaceflight Now + Premium video content for our Spaceflight Now Plus subscribers. "The Time of Apollo" This stirring 1970s documentary narrated by Burgess Meredith pays tribute to the grand accomplishments of Apollo as men left Earth to explore the Moon and fulfill President Kennedy's challenge to the nation.  Play "Apollo 17: On The Shoulders of Giants" Apollo's final lunar voyage is relived in this movie. The film depicts the highlights of Apollo 17's journey to Taurus-Littrow and looks to the future Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and shuttle programs.  Play "Apollo 10: To Sort Out The Unknowns" The May 1969 mission of Apollo 10 served as a final dress rehearsal before the first lunar landing later that summer. Stafford, Young and Cernan went to the moon to uncover lingering spacecraft problems that needed to be solved.  Play Traveling on Freedom 7 Fly with Alan Shepard during his historic journey into space with this documentary that takes the viewer along as an invisible companion to America's first astronaut.  Play Become a subscriber More video		Delta 377: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 9 Internationally-backed military satellite launched Signaling strength in the international cooperation between the U.S. military and allied nations, a satellite funded by five countries was successfully launched by the Air Force on Saturday to codify a global communications deal.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 376: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 8 Highest capacity U.S. military communications satellite launched An antenna-covered communications spacecraft that will bring more bandwidth and capacity to the U.S. military’s global information grid than any single satellite ever before was successfully launched Wednesday atop a Delta 4 rocket.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 375: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GSSAP Two space informants put in geosynchronous orbit The 375th Delta rocket doubled the size of the Air Force’s “neighborhood watch” program today with the successful launch and deployment of two surveillance satellites into the vast geosynchronous belt of spacecraft around the planet.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 374: Delta 4-Heavy launches NROL-37 Triple-barrel Delta 4-Heavy launches security satellite Two million pounds of firepower successfully launched a behemoth Delta 4-Heavy rocket and a top-secret eavesdropping surveillance satellite into space Saturday, embarking on a taxing climb directly into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth to deploy one of the pinnacles of U.S. intelligence-gathering.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 373: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts NROL-45 Delta 4 goes to backwards orbit for spy bird Soaring in fine fashion before daybreak, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket maneuvered a new spy satellite into a unique retrograde orbit this morning to join an expanding constellation of radar-imaging spacecraft.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 372: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 7 7th satellite in Air Force’s WGS series launched A U.S. military satellite that will fortify the “anytime, anywhere” communications infrastructure used by soldiers, ships, aircraft and drones was launched into orbit Thursday to improve the global connectivity that encompasses the planet.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 371: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GPS 2F-9 New bird flies for GPS navigation network Climbing away from Earth on the power of its liquid hydrogen-fueled main engine and twin solid rockets, a Delta 4 booster successfully launched a new Global Positioning System satellite Wednesday to benefit U.S. military operations and civilian society as a whole.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 370: Delta 2-7320 launches SMAP Delta 2 rises to occasion with SMAP observatory The ever-dependable Delta 2 rocket continued its flawless service to NASA and Earth sciences Saturday with the launch of a $916 million environmental probe focused on producing global maps of soil moisture from space.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 369: Delta 4-Heavy launches Orion Delta 4-Heavy blasts off with Orion capsule NASA's inaugural Orion spaceship has set sail on a two-orbit, four-hour shakedown cruise around the Earth, leaving port atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket and its incandescent power at 7:05 a.m. EST on Dec. 5.    FULL COVERAGE Delta 368: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GSSAP Space surveillance craft launched by Delta 4 rocket A pair of covertly developed inspector satellites to monitor collision threats and nefarious activities in geosynchronous orbit for U.S. Strategic Command blasted off Monday aboard a Delta 4 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    PREVIEW STORY    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: MONDAY'S RETRACT OF THE GANTRY    IMAGES: SUNRISE OVER THE DELTA 4    IMAGES: MOBILE GANTRY ROLLED BACK    IMAGES: ROCKET REVEALED FOR LAUNCH    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    EARLIER STORY Delta 367: Delta 2-7320 launches OCO 2 Workhorse Delta 2 returns to launch NASA observatory Streaking back into action after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, a Delta 2 rocket launched NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory No. 2 on Wednesday to watch the Earth breathe from space.    FULL STORY    THE JOYS OF LAUNCH    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: NASA PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET    IMAGES: MOBILE GANTRY ROLLBACK    IMAGES: PRE-LAUNCH GALLERY    IMAGES: DELTA STACKING GALLERY    PREVIEW STORY    RETURN OF DELTA 2    EARLIER STORY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 LAUNCHES OCO 2 DOWNLOAD VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF SEPARATION DOWNLOAD VIDEO: FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED DOWNLOAD VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF OCO 2 FLOW DOWNLOAD VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF DELTA 2 FLOW DOWNLOAD VIDEO: ROLLBACK OF MOBILE SERVICE TOWER DOWNLOAD VIDEO: WATCH THE DELTA 2/OCO 2 PRE-LAUNCH BRIEFING DOWNLOAD VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF THE DELTA 2/OCO 2 FLIGHT DOWNLOAD VIDEO: WATCH THE OCO 2 SCIENCE PRE-LAUNCH BRIEFING DOWNLOAD VIDEO: OCO 2 MISSION SOUNDBITES DOWNLOAD VIDEO: INTRODUCTION TO THE OCO 2 MISSION DOWNLOAD VIDEO: A LOOK AT THE CARBON DIOXIDE SCIENCE DOWNLOAD VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF THE OCO 2 PROJECT DOWNLOAD VIDEO: OCO 2 PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING DOWNLOAD SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 366: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GPS 2F-6 New GPS satellite put into orbit by Delta 4 rocket Igniting a surge of three Global Positioning System satellite launches in the next five months, a Delta 4 rocket blazed a trail of fire and light into the Florida sky Thursday night.    FULL STORY    GPS METRIC TRACKING STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: BIONETICS PHOTO SERVICES GALLERY    IMAGES: SNAPSHOTS OF THE LAUNCH    IMAGES: LAUNCH FROM VIEWING SITE    IMAGES: MOBILE GANTRY ROLLBACK    IMAGES: PAYLOAD PREPARATIONS    PREVIEW STORY    LAUNCH TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA LAUNCHES GPS 2F-6 DOWNLOAD VIDEO: WATERSIDE VIEW OF SUNSET LAUNCH DOWNLOAD VIDEO: FULL FRAME VIDEO OPTION DOWNLOAD VIDEO: PRESS SITE VIEW OF LAUNCH DOWNLOAD VIDEO: ALTERNATE ANGLE OF LIFTOFF DOWNLOAD SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 365: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GPS 2F-5 New GPS satellite headed to upgrade navigation network A replacement Global Positioning System spacecraft for the world's best-known satellite constellation ascended into orbit Friday night aboard a Delta 4 rocket in a spectacular sendoff at sunset.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: PRESS SITE VIEW OF LAUNCH    IMAGES: ULA PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: GANTRY ROLLBACK    PREVIEW STORY    LAUNCH INFORMATION - (.pdf download)    DELTA 4 FACT SHEET - (.pdf download)    PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS - (.pdf download)    IMAGES: MISSION PATCHES    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE Delta 364: Delta 4-Heavy launches NROL-65 America's largest rocket lifts off from California Igniting its three main engines in a staggered sequence for the first time, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket successfully flew into Earth orbit and deployed a U.S. national security satellite Wednesday.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH OF DELTA 4-HEAVY    IMAGES: ROCKET SOARS DOWNRANGE    IMAGES: SERVICE GANTRY ROLLED BACK    IMAGES: DELTA 4-HEAVY ON THE PAD    PREVIEW STORY    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE    STORE: DELTA 4-HEAVY MODEL Delta 363: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 6 Delta 4 rocket launches for Australian satellite deploy A rocket launch funded entirely by Australia streaked to orbit Wednesday night from Cape Canaveral in a show of international cooperation between the U.S. military and its allies.    FULL STORY    PREVIEW STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: PAD GANTRY RETRACTED    IMAGES: SATELLITE PREPARED FOR LAUNCH    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE Additional coverage for subscribers. Hi-def video files are presented in 720p resolution: VIDEO: THE DELTA 4 LAUNCHES WITH WGS 6 PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 362: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 5 Satellite launched to expand coverage over the Americas With one more satellite needed in its new military communications system to extend blanket coverage over virtually the entire planet, the spacecraft to make the network's reach global was sent thundering into orbit Friday to join the Air Force's broadening constellation serving troops, ships, drones and civilian leaders.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: DELTA 4'S LIFTOFF FROM VIEWING SITE    IMAGES: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    PREVIEW STORY    EARLIER STORY ON PAYLOAD MATE    IMAGES: SATELLITE ATTACHED FOR LAUNCH    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Delta 361: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GPS 2F-3 GPS gets another upgraded satellite for constellation Upgrading the Global Positioning System one launch at a time, a modern bird soared to space Thursday to replace a long-surviving navigation satellite deployed 19 years ago, a durable craft of the past that doubled life's expectations and will give way to current advancements. The Delta 4 rocket's cryogenic upper stage, however, persevered through a fuel leak by autonomously engaging techniques that kept the mission on track.    FULL STORY    INITIAL RL10 STORY    INVESTIGATION STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM VIEWING SITE    IMAGES: WEDNESDAY'S GANTRY ROLLBACK    IMAGES: GPS 2F-3 PREPARATION PHOTOS    PREVIEW STORY    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE Delta 360: Delta 4-Heavy lofts NROL-15 Delta 4-Heavy rocket blasts off from Cape Canaveral America's heavy-lift rocket, the towering white and orange triple-barreled booster responsible for launching vital security and intelligence satellites, mades another of its spectacular ascents from Cape Canaveral on Friday morning.    IMAGES: SPECIAL PHOTO GALLERY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: HOISTING PAYLOAD ATOP ROCKET Delta 359: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts NROL-25 Delta 4 rocket successfully lofts surveillance satellite A Delta 4 rocket made a thunderous departure from California on Tuesday afternoon, only to slip into a news blackout minutes later while it climbed higher and faster to deploy a classified spy satellite, a success-defining milestone that was confirmed by hobbyist observers.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    MOVIE: HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: DELTA 4 READY FOR THE COUNTDOWN    IMAGES: PAD GANTRY RETRACTED FOR LAUNCH    IMAGES: ROCKET ON THE EVE OF LAUNCH    IMAGES: TOUR OF SLC 6 PAD    IMAGES: DELTA 4 POISED ON THE PAD    IMAGES: PAYLOAD MOUNTED ATOP THE ROCKET    'MAIDEN FLIGHT' OF SORTS    RETROGRADE ORBIT TARGETED    LAUNCH PREVIEW STORY Delta 358: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 4 Delta 4 rocket soars for the Defense Department A new Air Force satellite headed for service over the Middle East to route essential communications to U.S. military forces and improve data links to unmanned aerial drones was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral last night.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM PAD'S POND    IMAGES: OTHER PAD CAMERA COVERED IN DEW    IMAGES: DELTA 4 PIERCES STARRY SKY    IMAGES: ROCKET POISED FOR BLASTOFF    IMAGES: MOBILE SERVICE GANTRY RETRACTED    PREVIEW STORY    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    ARCHIVE: ROCKET ROLLED TO LAUNCH PAD    ARCHIVE: WGS 4 ARRIVES FROM FACTORY    ARCHIVE: PAYLOAD MOUNTED ATOP ROCKET Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: WGS 4 BLASTS OFF ABOARD DELTA 4 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: DELTA 4 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH WGS 3 PLAY VIDEO: ATLAS 5 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH WGS 2 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PREPARATIONS PLAY VIDEO: WGS 1 LAUNCH SEEN FROM PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 357: Delta 2-7920 launches NPP Polar orbiter goes up to improve weather forecasts A satellite whose mission will touch the lives of everyone on Earth by taking the planet's environmental pulse daily for global weather forecasting and meticulous tracking of the changing climate was launched into space Friday morning atop what's potentially the final Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: ROCKET STREAKS TO SPACE    IMAGES: PAD CAMERAS CAPTURE BLASTOFF    IMAGES: GANTRY ROLLS WITH AMAZING SUNSET    IMAGES: MORE SUNSET AND ROCKET SHOTS    LAUNCH PREVIEW STORY    TECHNICAL LOOK AT NPP    ORIGINS OF NPP MISSION    IMAGES: PHOTOGRAPHERS SET UP CAMERAS    IMAGES: LOOKING AROUND THE LAUNCH PAD    IMAGES: INSIDE MISSION DIRECTOR'S CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    NASA PRESS KIT (.pdf download)    IMAGES: ROCKET ASSEMBLY GALLERY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: NPP LAUNCH AS SEEN LIVE! PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: DEPLOYMENT OF NPP ANNOUNCED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: CUBESATS EJECTED FROM SECOND STAGE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: NASA LAUNCH DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA WEST OF PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA SOUTH OF PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: INFRARED TRACKING CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE GANTRY ROLLED BACK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: NPP'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: ROCKET'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: NPP PROJECT SCIENTIST INTERVIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: PREVIEW OF DELTA 2 ROCKET'S ASCENT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: SCIENCE GOALS OF NPP SPACECRAFT PLAY VIDEO: CUBESATS LAUNCHING ALONG WITH NPP PLAY VIDEO: PRE-FLIGHT MISSION INTRODUCTION BRIEFING PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 2 rocket launch yields perfect photography Last Friday's Delta 2 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base was a photographer's dream with beautiful weather and a gorgeous California sunset. Take a look back at the countdown and blastoff through the lens of ULA's cameraman.    IMAGES: RIDE THE GANTRY DURING ROLLBACK    IMAGES: CALIFORNIA SUNSET OVER THE PAD    IMAGES: MIDDLE-OF-THE-NIGHT LAUNCH Delta 356: Delta 2-7920H launches GRAIL From the Earth to the Moon: GRAIL spacecraft blast off Men have walked on it and satellites have surveyed it from every angle, but another mission to the Moon launched Sept. 10 seeks profound new insights about our nearest neighbor in the night sky.    FULL STORY    PREVIEW REPORT    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PAD PHOTOS    IMAGES: PRESS SITE VIEW    IMAGES: SMOKEY IGNITION SHOTS    IMAGES: 1ST LAUNCH ATTEMPT GALLERY    VIDEO: MOON PASSES BY LAUNCH PAD    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK GALLERY    IMAGES: DELTA 2 ROCKET ON THE PAD    LAUNCH WINDOW CHART    ASCENT EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    NASA PRESS KIT (.pdf download)    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: ONBOARD ROCKET CAMERA: GRAIL-A DEPLOYED PLAY VIDEO: ONBOARD ROCKET CAMERA: GRAIL-B DEPLOYED PLAY VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: GRAIL LAUNCH AS SEEN LIVE! PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD 17A CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD 17B CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: BACKSIDE CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: NORTHSIDE CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: JETTY PARK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AFB PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE 1 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: KSC TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: TRIDENT BLUFF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS 23 TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: AERIAL VIEWS OF HISTORIC COMPLEX 17 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT IS SCRUBBED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE GANTRY ROLLED BACK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF TOWER RETRACTION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GRAIL'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: ROCKET'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GRAIL PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INTERVIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: PREVIEW OF DELTA 2-HEAVY ROCKET'S ASCENT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LEARN ABOUT GRAIL'S SCIENCE GOALS PLAY VIDEO: THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: PRE-FLIGHT MISSION INTRODUCTION BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO: GRAIL'S ROADMAP TO THE MOON PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: DELTA/GRAIL LAUNCH ANIMATION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GRAIL LUNAR MAPPING ANIMATION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: HOW GRAVITY MEASUREMENTS ARE MADE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET'S NOSE CONE INSTALLED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GRAIL MOVES TO ROCKET'S LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SECOND SATELLITE PUT ON LAUNCH DEPLOYER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: FIRST SATELLITE PUT ON LAUNCH DISPENSER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SOLAR ARRAYS UNFURLED FOR CHECK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SATELLITES READY TO START TESTING PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: UNBOXING THE SPACECRAFT AT ASTROTECH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SATELLITES UNLOADED FROM TRANSPORT PLANE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GRAIL SPACECRAFT TOUCH DOWN IN FLORIDA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: ROCKET'S SECOND STAGE INSTALLED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SECOND STAGE CARTED TO COMPLEX 17 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS ATTACHED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: READYING THE FIRST SET OF BOOSTERS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: ON-PAD ASSEMBLY OF ROCKET UNDERWAY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GANTRY HOISTS FIRST STAGE VERTICALLY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: FIRST STAGE ARRIVES AT THE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 355: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GPS 2F-2 GPS navigation satellite takes nighttime ride to orbit Continuing a prolific partnership that has benefited billions of users around the world, the Delta rocket family Saturday successfully launched its 50th satellite for the Global Positioning System.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: FROM CAUSEWAY VIEWING SITE    IMAGES: PAD GANTRY ROLLED BACK    IMAGES: TAKE A LOOK AROUND LAUNCH COMPLEX    IMAGES: GPS 2F-2 ENCAPSULATED IN NOSE CONE    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE OF DELTA/GPS 2F-2 PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 354: Delta 2-7320 launches Aquarius Satellite sets sail to survey saltiness of Earth's oceans Seeking a missing ingredient to understanding Earth's environmental changes, a new satellite conceived through unique international collaborations was launched Friday to map the planet's salty seas from space.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PICTURES    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: GANTRY ROLLED BACK    IMAGES: DELTA'S FIRST STAGE STACKED    IMAGES: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS ADDED    IMAGES: ROCKET'S SECOND STAGE INSTALLED    IMAGES: SPACECRAFT ARRIVES AT VANDENBERG    IMAGES: SATELLITE JOINS ROCKET Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: ONBOARD VIDEO OF SATELLITE DEPLOY PLAY VIDEO: NASA LAUNCH MANAGER DECLARES SUCCESS PLAY VIDEO: FIVE DIFFERENT LAUNCH REPLAY ANGLES PLAY VIDEO: SAC-D/AQUARIUS PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: MORE PAD TOWER ROLLBACK FOOTAGE PLAY VIDEO: PAD GANTRY RETRACTED FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: AQUARIUS SCIENCE BRIEFING PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 353: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts NROL-27 Information-routing craft deployed by Delta 4 A medium-class version of United Launch Alliance's Delta 4 rocket gave a lift to the National Reconnaissance Office and an information-routing spacecraft Friday night with blastoff from Cape Canaveral.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: DELTA'S COLORFUL CLIMB INTO SPACE    IMAGES: PRE-FLIGHT VIEWS OF THE DELTA 4    OUR DELTA ARCHIVE Delta 352: Delta 4-Heavy launches NROL-49 Delta 4-Heavy rocket launches from California The clandestine cargo carried into polar orbit Thursday aboard the first California-launched Delta 4-Heavy rocket was a crucial replacement satellite for the nation's surveillance and security network, amateur sky-watchers say.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM THE BEACH    IMAGES: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK    IMAGES: THE DAY BEFORE LAUNCH    PREVIEW STORY    HISTORY FEATURE STORY Delta 351: Delta 4-Heavy launches NROL-32 Eavesdropping craft heads to space atop Delta 4-Heavy One could not overstate the importance of Sunday night's Delta 4-Heavy launch to national security, a mission by the massive rocket from Cape Canaveral that deployed "the largest satellite in the world" to hear the whispers of evil.    FULL STORY    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    PREVIEW STORY    IMAGES: ROCKET POISED FOR COUNTDOWN    IMAGES: MOBILE GANTRY ROLLBACK Delta 350: Delta 2-7420 launches COSMO 4 350 launches and counting for family of Delta rockets There was a sentimental blastoff from California on Friday night as the venerable Delta 2 made its one-and-only flight of the year, chalking up a major milestone for the rocket family's lasting legacy while also finishing deployment of Italy's radar satellite quartet that images the world for peace and security.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: POISED FOR LAUNCH    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Delta 349: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GPS 2F-1 First-of-its-kind satellite for GPS launched into space A new era for the Global Positioning System rocketed into orbit Thursday night, beginning a concerted effort to sharpen the precision capabilities beaming from the world's foremost space-based navigation network.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    EARLIER FEATURE STORY    IMAGES: SPACEFLIGHT NOW'S GALLERY    IMAGES: LAUNCH PAD COLLECTION    IMAGES: MOBILE GANTRY ROLLBACK    IMAGES: POISED FOR LAUNCH    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    DELTA 4 ROCKET Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE OF DELTA/GPS 2F-1 PLAY VIDEO: MONDAY'S COUNT HALTED SECONDS BEFORE LAUNCH PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 348: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GOES P Teaming of Delta 4 rocket and GOES a sweet success The Delta 4 rocket has accomplished a critical three-peat for the nation in flawless style, successfully capping a series of repetitive but highly important U.S. weather satellite launches with a beautiful blastoff at nightfall March 4.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PAD CAMERAS    IMAGES: DELTA 4 SOARS INTO DUSKY SKY    IMAGES: ROCKET UNVEILED ON LAUNCH MORNING    LAUNCH TIMELINE    TRAJECTORY MAP    VIDEO: HIGH DEFINITION COVERAGE Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 4 BLASTS OFF WITH GOES P PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: VAB ROOF CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: FROM SHUTTLE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAUSEWAY ZOOMED VIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAUSEWAY WIDE-ANGLE VIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: UCS 3 TRACKING CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: DELTA OPERATIONS CENTER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: WEST LIGHTNING TOWER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: EAST LIGHTNING TOWER PLAY VIDEO: RECAP OF THE ROCKET'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: RECAP OF THE SATELLITE'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: TOWER ROLLBACK REVEALS ROCKET FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF GOES WEATHER OBSERVATORIES PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: WATCH THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: GOES P TRUCKED TO THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SPACECRAFT ENCAPSULATED IN NOSE CONE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: MOVING THE GOES P SATELLITE AROUND PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: CLEANROOM INTERVIEW WITH NOAA MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: CLEANROOM INTERVIEW WITH NASA MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SOLID BOOSTERS ADDED TO DELTA 4 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: DELTA 4 ERECTED AT THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: ROCKET ROLLED OUT OF THE HANGAR PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: FIRST AND UPPER STAGES CONNECTED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GOES P PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: CHECKING OUT SPACECRAFT IN CLEANROOM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SATELLITE EMERGES FROM SHIPPING CRATE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GOES P SATELLITE LANDS IN FLORIDA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: THE UPPER STAGE IS READY TO FLY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: UPPER STAGE TO DELTA OPS CENTER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: UNPACKING DELTA'S UPPER STAGE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET MOTOR RECEIVED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: FIRST STAGE ARRIVES AT THE CAPE PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 347: Delta 2-7320 launches WISE Universe mapper with infrared eyes launched With the promise to discover millions of objects never seen before and revolutionize our view of the Universe, NASA has launched its WISE observatory on a scouting expedition that will rewrite the road maps to the cosmos.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PHOTOS: LAUNCH IMAGE GALLERY    PHOTOS: MORE LAUNCH SHOTS    PHOTOS: PRESS SITE VIEW    PHOTOS: ROCKET UNVEILED FOR LAUNCH    PRESS KIT (.pdf download)    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LAUNCHES WISE OBSERVATORY PLAY VIDEO: RETRACTION OF PAD'S MOBILE SERVICE GANTRY PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF WISE LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF DELTA 2 LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: DELTA/WISE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: WISE SCIENCE PREVIEW BRIEFING PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 346: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts WGS 3 New communications craft launched for U.S. military The Delta 4 rocket debuted its latest variant with a display of power and precision Saturday night, successfully using an energetic creation to heave a vital communications satellite into space for the U.S. military.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PHOTOS: LAUNCH GALLERY    PHOTOS: PRESS SITE VIEW    PHOTOS: ROCKET UNVEILED FOR LAUNCH    PHOTOS: PAD GANTRY ROLLED BACK    PHOTOS: SECOND COUNTDOWN    OUR PREVIEW STORY    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 4 ROCKET LAUNCHES WGS 3 PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 345: Delta 2-7920 lofts WorldView 2 Satellite launched to give truer view of the world A company that scans the world with its high-resolution imaging satellites launched another spacecraft October 8, one that promises to reveal Earth's true colors for commercial mapping and monitoring.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: CAMERAS AT THE LAUNCH PAD    IMAGES: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM PRESS SITE    IMAGES: MORE SHOTS FROM THE PAD    IMAGES: ROCKET STANDS POISED    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LAUNCHES WORLDVIEW 2 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD GANTRY ROLLED BACK FROM ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF WORLDVIEW 2'S LAUNCH PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 344: Delta 2-7920 launches STSS Demo Delta 2 rocket launches missile defense satellites A Delta 2 rocket powered two experimental missile-tracking satellites into orbit Sept. 25 to test advanced technologies for the nation's defense against enemy attacks.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    BEACH PHOTO GALLERY    LAUNCH TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    STSS DEMO MISSION ILLUSTRATIONS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES STSS DEMO PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: STSS DEMO SATELLITES DEPLOYED PLAY VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH BRIEFING WITH NASA AND MDA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAPE CANAVERAL BEACH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: WIDE VIEW FROM PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: TIGHT SHOT FROM PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: KSC DOAMS TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: UCS 23 TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NORTHEAST PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA SOUTHWEST PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA WEST PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF STSS DEMO PREPS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF DELTA 2'S PREPARATIONS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: PAD TOWER ROLLS BACK AROUND DELTA 2 AFTER SCRUB PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 343: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-21 Bittersweet launch ends several chapters of history As the day dawned at Cape Canaveral on August 17, another Delta 2 rocket darted into the sky on a satellite deployment mission. But this successful launch was remarkably different. Instead of bringing joy, there was deep sadness from the finality bought by the flight.    FULL STORY    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! Photo gallery: Air Force's final Delta 2 rocket launch The Delta 2 rocket made one last flight for the U.S. Air Force by launching the Global Positioning System 2R-21 satellite from Cape Canaveral's pad 17A on Monday.    MISSION PHOTO GALLERY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES AT SUNRISE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: THE GPS 2R-21 MISSION SUCCESSFULLY BEGINS PLAY VIDEO: PAD 17A MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK PLAY VIDEO: HISTORY OF DELTA 2 AND GPS SATELLITES PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 342: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GOES O Delta 4 deploys advanced weather observatory A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket boosted a new GOES weather satellite into space June 27 to serve as an orbital spare for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fleet of hurricane-tracking weather sentinels.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES:LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES:DELTA 4 ROCKET READY FOR LAUNCH    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 4 BLASTS OFF WITH GOES O PLAY VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF GOES O'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF DELTA 4'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD 39A CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAUSEWAY ZOOMED VIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAUSEWAY WIDE-ANGLE VIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: UMBILICALS RETRACT PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAMERA IN FRONT OF PAD PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: UCS 23 TRACKING CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKER PLAY VIDEO: WEATHER OFFICER PROVIDES FORECAST PLAY VIDEO: FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED BY WEATHER PLAY VIDEO: PAD'S MOBILE GANTRY RETRACTED FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: WEATHER FORECAST FOR FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT PLAY VIDEO: WATCH THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO: SPACECRAFT SITS ATOP THE DELTA 4 ROCKET PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: GOES O TRANSPORTED TO LAUNCH PAD 37B PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: NOSE CONE PLACED AROUND THE SATELLITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GOES O PLAY | HI-DEF MORE: DELTA/GOES O VIDEO COVERAGE MORE: HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO OF GOES O MORE: ARCHIVED GOES N COVERAGE FROM 2006 SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 341: Delta 2-7920 launches STSS-ATRR Delta 2 rocket launches missile defense craft A quasi-classified satellite that will serve as an engineering trailblazer for ballistic missile tracking technologies flew into space May 5, riding aloft aboard a Delta 2 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.    MISSION STATUS CENTER -live updates!    PHOTOS: LAUNCH GALLERY    PHOTOS: MORE LAUNCH SHOTS    PHOTOS: PRE-FLIGHT VIEWS    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH STSS-ATRR PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SPACEFLIGHT NOW'S LAUNCH PAD CAMERA PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 340: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-20 Delta 2 rocket deploys another GPS satellite Continuing 20 years of building and maintaining the Global Positioning System, the workhorse Delta 2 rocket March 24 successfully launched another satellite for the navigation network known the world over.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: ROLLBACK OF LAUNCH PAD GANTRY PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-20 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH OF GPS 2R-20 SATELLITE AS SEEN LIVE PLAY VIDEO: FIRST STAGE MAIN ENGINE CUTOFF PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 339: Delta 2-7925 launches Kepler Kepler leaves Earth to discover new worlds NASA's Kepler planet-finder began its mission to discover Earth-like worlds orbiting other stars in the galaxy March 6, successfully launching at 10:49:57 p.m. EST aboard a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral.    FULL STORY    PREVIEW STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    VIDEO: KEPLER VIDEO COVERAGE    HDTV: HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH KEPLER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: KEPLER SUCCESSFULLY SEPARATES FROM ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: UPDATE FROM THE NASA LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: KSC TRACKER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS 23 TRACKER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: TOWER CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AFB PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE 1 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: TRIDENT BLUFF LOCATION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: SECOND VIEW FROM BLUFF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: AN INTERVIEW WITH NASA'S SCIENCE CHIEF PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD'S SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF KEPLER LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DELTA 2'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: THURSDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: SCIENTISTS PREVIEW THE KEPLER MISSION PLAY VIDEO: KEPLER PRE-FLIGHT OVERVIEW BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO: SPACECRAFT MOUNTED ATOP ROCKET AT PAD 17B PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LEAVING ASTROTECH FOR TRIP TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: CANISTER PUT AROUND KEPLER FOR PAD MOVE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SOLID-FUEL THIRD STAGE ATTACHED TO KEPLER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: BEAUTY SHOTS OF OBSERVATORY IN CLEANROOM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: SPACECRAFT UNPACKED AT ASTROTECH FACILITY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: KEPLER ARRIVES ON FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET'S SECOND STAGE ERECTED PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 338: Delta 2-7320 lofts NOAA-N Prime History abounds in launch of crucial weather satellite A last-of-its-kind weather observatory with roots reaching back to the earliest days of U.S. space exploration rocketed into orbit Feb. 6 to keep logging environmental records until a long-delayed new generation of satellites is ready.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    PHOTO GALLERY: MORE LAUNCH PICTURES    PHOTO GALLERY: LAUNCH GALLERY    PHOTO GALLERY: TOWER ROLLBACK    PRE-FLIGHT STORY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH NOAA-N PRIME PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NO. 1 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NO. 2 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NO. 3 PLAY VIDEO: CONFIRMATION OF A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: PAD'S SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK PLAY VIDEO: THE FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED PLAY VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DELTA 2'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SATELLITE LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: NOAA-N PRIME MISSION OVERVIEW FILM PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 337: Delta 4-Heavy launches NROL-26 Delta 4-Heavy rocket launches secret satellite America's heavy-lift rocket, the white and orange triple-barreled booster towering 23 stories tall, launched a new intelligence-gathering satellite for the nation Jan. 17.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    COVAULT'S STORY ON PAYLOAD    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: ROCKET PHOTOS FROM SATURDAY    IMAGES: AERIAL LAUNCH PAD PHOTOS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD CAMERA NO. 1 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD CAMERA NO. 2 PLAY VIDEO: THE DELTA 4-HEAVY ROCKET LIFTS OFF PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM PRESS VIEWING SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE MOVIE OF THE GANTRY RETRACTING PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD'S MOBILE GANTRY ROLLED BACK PLAY | HI-DEF MORE: PREVIOUS DELTA 4-HEAVY COVERAGE SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 336: Delta 2-7420 launches COSMO 3 Italian radar-imaging craft launched by Delta rocket 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 by an American Delta 2 rocket.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Delta 335: Delta 2-7420 launches GeoEye 1 High-res commercial Earth imager launched to space A Delta 2 rocket thundered out of America's western spaceport September 6 and put into orbit a commercial Earth-imaging satellite that promises to offer a sharper clarity than any private satellite launched before it.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: ROCKET ON THE PAD    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Delta 334: Delta 2-7320 launches Jason 2 Satellite flown into space to monitor Earth's oceans NASA partnered with European scientists to launch an ocean research satellite from California on June 20, giving forecasters a new tool to make more accurate predictions of weather patterns and climate change.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PHOTO GALLERY: TOWER ROLLBACK    PHOTO GALLERY: LIFTOFF IMAGES    PHOTO GALLERY: TIME-LAPSE LAUNCH IMAGES    PHOTO GALLERY: ADDITIONAL LAUNCH SHOTS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: OUR LAUNCH PAD CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM THE PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: PAD GANTRY RETRACTED FROM ROCKET FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE MOVIE OF TOWER ROLLBACK PLAY VIDEO: JASON 2 SEPARATES FROM DELTA 2 PLAY VIDEO: JASON 2 LAUNCHES ABOARD DELTA 2 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD TOWER ROLLBACK PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: JASON 2 LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: JASON 2 MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING PLAY MORE: ALL JASON 2 VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 333: Delta 2-7920H launches GLAST NASA launches observatory with gamma ray vision A Delta 2 rocket roared to life and successfully boosted a $690 million space telescope into orbit on June 11, the most sophisticated observatory ever built to study the tell-tale high energy gamma rays generated by the most violent explosions and processes in the known universe.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA 2-HEAVY ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GLAST PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD 17B WIDE-SCREEN CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD 17A LOOKING SOUTHWARD PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE UCS-23 WEST TRACKER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD ENGINEERING CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UMBILICAL TOWER CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: TRIDENT BLUFF LOCATION PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CCAFS INDUSTRIAL AREA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE 1 PLAY VIDEO: ROLLBACK OF PAD'S MOBILE SERVICE TOWER PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS PLAY VIDEO: GLAST'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS PLAY NEW!: HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 332: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-19 Delta's late-night launch lofts new GPS satellite Using one of its final Delta 2 rockets, the U.S. Air Force continued a year-long launch surge of new Global Positioning System satellites with a successful blastoff from Cape Canaveral over the weekend.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-19 PLAY VIDEO: GPS SATELLITE ANIMATION PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 331: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-18 Final Delta launch of 2007 lofts new GPS satellite A productive year for the Delta rocket program that launched spacecraft to observe Earth, dig up frozen water on Mars and explore uncharted worlds in the asteroid belt was capped with a successful ascent of a modernized GPS navigation satellite on Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: LAUNCH PAD CAMERAS    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-18 PLAY VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER IS ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: GPS SATELLITE ANIMATION PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 330: Delta 2-7420 launches COSMO 2 Italian-made Earth observer soars into space The second in a series of Italian radar satellites rocketed away from Earth on Saturday night, achieving a spot-on delivery into polar orbit aboard a Delta 2 rocket launched from California.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Delta 329: Delta 4-Heavy launches DSP 23 Delta 4-Heavy rocket fires away from Cape Canaveral It is America's largest unmanned space booster. Its level of complexity causes engineers to liken it to launching three rockets at one time. And its fiery blastoffs create a dazzling yet heart-in-your-throat sight. Now, the mammoth Delta 4-Heavy has entered operational service with Saturday night's successful ascent carrying a critical surveillance satellite.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PHOTOS    IMAGES: ANOTHER BATCH OF LAUNCH PHOTOS    IMAGES: CLOSEUP LAUNCH PHOTOS    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK GALLERY    IMAGES: MORE ROLLBACK PHOTOS Last-of-its-kind satellite reaches orbit Saturday night signaled the end of a 37-year-long string of launches for the Air Force's early warning satellite program as the military prepares to transition toward a new system.    FULL STATUS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: WIDESCREEN MOVIE OF LAUNCH SHOT FROM PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 4-HEAVY ROCKETS LAUNCHES WITH DSP 23 PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: ANIMATION OF DSP SATELLITE PLAY VIDEO: DSP 23 SATELLITE IS TRANSPORTED TO PAD 37B PLAY VIDEO: THE DSP 23 SPACECRAFT MOUNTED ATOP ADAPTER PLAY VIDEO: FIRST DELTA 4-HEAVY FROM LIFTOFF TO BOOSTER SEP. PLAY VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA RECORDS FIRST HEAVY LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA SEES BOOSTER SEPARATION PLAY VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA CAPTURES FAIRING JETTISON PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 328: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-17 Upgraded satellite launched for the GPS constellation A Global Positioning System satellite with enhanced qualities is flying high after successfully soaring into space Wednesday to reinvigorate a corner of the precision navigation network.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-17 PLAY VIDEO: GPS SATELLITE ANIMATION PLAY Delta 327: Delta 2-7925H launches Dawn Dawn spacecraft begins mission of exploration Seeking to explore the uncharted worlds of Vesta and Ceres in the heart of the asteroid belt, NASA's Dawn space probe rocketed off planet Earth at sunrise Thursday to begin the three-billion-mile adventure that is counting on the craft's exotic ion engines to drive the eight-year trek.    FULL STORY    OUR PREVIEW STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH DAY PHOTOS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES DAWN PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM JETTY PARK PIER PLAY VIDEO: DAWN'S DEPLOYMENT FROM ROCKET ANNOUNCED PLAY VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT COMMENTS FROM LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY VIDEO: PAD'S MOBILE GANTRY ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF DAWN'S SCIENCE MISSION PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN'S LAUNCH PREPS PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF DELTA 2 ROCKET PREPS PLAY MORE: FULL VIDEO COVERAGE OF DAWN MISSION PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 326: Delta 2-7920 lofts WorldView 1 Delta 2 rocket launches to new success record A sophisticated new Earth-imaging satellite with sharp eyes, nimble moves and a broad memory was launched Sept. 18, riding the ever-dependable Delta 2 rocket into orbit during a flawless ascent that set a new reliability mark for modern space boosters.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Delta 325: Delta 2-7925 launches Phoenix Phoenix takes flight! NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has embarked on its 10-month, 420-million-mile cruise from Earth to Mars, departing aboard a Delta 2 rocket August 4 bound for the Red Planet to examine the frozen water in the northern plains that could be a habitable zone for life.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates!    VIDEO: COVERAGE OF PHOENIX    PODCAST: WATCH | FREE SUBSCRIPTION Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: PHOENIX LAUNCHES! PLAY VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT COMMENTS FROM LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN FROM PATRICK AFB CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: TRACKER FOLLOWS ROCKET TO MECO PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM THE PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: PAD'S MOBILE GANTRY ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF PHOENIX CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF ROCKET CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF PHOENIX MISSION TO MARS PLAY VIDEO: ANIMATION OF PHOENIX WITH NARRATION PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Phoenix launch gallery These collections of images show the Phoenix spacecraft leaving Earth for its interplanetary cruise to Mars. The mobile service gantry at pad 17A was rolled back Friday evening to reveal the Delta 2 rocket in the final hours of the countdown. The successful liftoff followed early Saturday.    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LIFTOFF! From Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, these panoramas show the Complex 17 launch pads used by Delta 2 rockets. Spaceflight Now photographer Chris Miller captured the panoramas before and after the Phoenix launch from pad 17A. The rocket to loft the Dawn asteroid probe stands on pad 17B.    PANORAMA 1 | PANORAMA 2 | PANORAMA 3 | PANORAMA 4 PANORAMA 5 | PANORAMA 6 Lander targets Mars' water When NASA's Phoenix lander arrives at Mars next May, it will join a flotilla of spacecraft already at the red planet working as a team of robotic scientists to probe the existence of water.    FULL STORY Delta 324: Delta 2-7420 launches COSMO 1 Italian satellite rockets to space atop Delta 2 booster A Delta 2 rocket successfully launched June 7 from California to begin assembling an Italian-built constellation of observation satellites that will use radar to image the Earth for commercial and military uses.    MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    LAUNCH PHOTO Delta 323: Delta 2-7925 launches THEMIS Five spacecraft launched to probe space storms Aiming to uncover the physics that power the auroras that crown Earth's poles, five tiny probes have been launched into space for a synchronized orbital dance to locate where the trigger is pulled to create the eerily magnificent displays.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: AERIAL VIEWS OF ROCKET    IMAGES: FRIDAY'S GANTRY ROLLBACK    IMAGES: SATURDAY'S GANTRY ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PHOTOS    THEMIS OVERVIEW    LAUNCH TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LAUNCHES THEMIS PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN LAUNCH MOVIE FROM PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN LAUNCH MOVIE FROM PATRICK AFB PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN LAUNCH MOVIE FROM PLAYALINDA BEACH PLAY VIDEO: SPACECRAFT SEPARATION CONFIRMED PLAY VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH COMMENTS PLAY VIDEO: FRIDAY'S LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED PLAY VIDEO: PAD SERVICE GANTRY ROLLED BACK PLAY VIDEO: THEMIS MISSION SCIENCE PREVIEW PLAY VIDEO: WATCH THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: ROCKET NOSE CONE INSTALLED AROUND THEMIS PLAY VIDEO: SPACECRAFT MOUNTED ATOP DELTA ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: THEMIS DELIVERED TO THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY VIDEO: SECOND STAGE ATTACHED PLAY VIDEO: FIRST STAGE ERECTED PLAY MORE: THEMIS LAUNCH COVERAGE SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 322: Delta 2-7920 launches NRO craft First flight a success for United Launch Alliance A secret spacecraft for the U.S. government's spy satellite agency successfully rocketed into orbit December 14 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base in a history-making launch, the first for the United Launch Alliance consortium.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    IMAGES: DELTA ROCKET LIFTS OFF    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PHOTOS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DAZZLING ONBOARD CAMERA FOOTAGE OF LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH NRO PAYLOAD PLAY VIDEO: PAD GANTRY ROLLED BACK ON LAUNCH MORNING PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET BEING ASSEMBLED ON THE PAD PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 321: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-16 Delta 2 completes another GPS satellite delivery The 125th Boeing Delta 2 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral November 17 on another mission to replenish the satellite constellation of the Global Positioning System.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    DELTA ARCHIVE    IMAGES: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PHOTOS Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-16 PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN LAUNCH MOVIE FROM PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: GPS SATELLITE ANIMATION PLAY VIDEO: MOST RECENT GPS LAUNCH FROM SEPT. 25 PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 320: Delta 4-Medium lofts DMSP F17 Military weather satellite rockets into polar orbit A globe-spanning weather observatory successfully launched into space November 4 aboard a Boeing Delta 4 rocket, giving the U.S. military a new set of orbiting eyes to help plan air, sea and land operations around the world.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK Delta 319: Delta 2-7925 launches STEREO Spacecraft launched to see the sun in a new dimension NASA launched a pair of compact spacecraft October 25 that will use the moon's gravity to whip them into orbital positions ahead of and behind the Earth to study titanic solar eruptions in 3-D.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: LAUNCH OF STEREO    IMAGES: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH OF STEREO ABOARD DELTA 2 ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT REPORT FROM LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH DAY ROLLBACK OF PAD'S SERVICE TOWER PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED MOVIE OF DELTA ROCKET PRE-LAUNCH FLOW PLAY VIDEO: NARRATED MOVIE OF STEREO PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING PLAY VIDEO: STEREO PRE-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND VIDEO: MISSION SCIENCE PREVIEW DIAL-UP | BROADBAND VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET'S NOSE CONE INSTALLED FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: SATELLITES SEEN MOUNTED ATOP ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: SPACECRAFT DELIVERED TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY MORE: STEREO VIDEO COVERAGE SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 318: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-15 Updating the GPS satellite network takes next step One year to the day after the Global Positioning System constellation began a modernization effort to improve the accuracy of the navigation network, the next step in that upgrade blasted into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    QUICK-LOOK: GPS 2R-15 CUE CARD Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-15 QT VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM PRESS SITE QT VIDEO: MORNING PAD TOWER ROLLBACK QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 317: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts NRO craft New era of rocket launches begins at California base A new spy satellite is circling Earth after a spectacular sendoff Tuesday evening, marking the first time such a clandestine national security spacecraft has launched aboard America's modern breed of rockets.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PHOTOS    IMAGES: LIFTOFF OF THE DELTA 4    IMAGES: DELTA 4 ON THE PAD Delta 316: Delta 2-7925 launches MiTEx Delta 2 rocket puts military experiment into space An experimental U.S. military project to characterize the performance of two micro-satellite trailblazers operating 22,300 miles above Earth and a prototype maneuvering motor for small spacecraft began with a beautiful blastoff from Cape Canaveral on the evening of June 21.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LAUNCH OF MITEX Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH MITEX PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN VIEW FROM THE PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD TOWER ROLLED BACK PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 315: Delta 4-Medium+ lofts GOES-N Weather observatory for Americas ascends to space The first member of a revitalized series of spaceborne weather watchers was shepherded into orbit by a Delta 4 rocket in a marathon launch May 24, giving American meteorologists a sophisticated new tool to warn against dangerous severe storms.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    GOES-N FACT SHEET    IMAGES: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    IMAGES: AUG. 15 LAUNCH ATTEMPT    IMAGES: AUG. 16 LAUNCH ATTEMPT Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 4 BLASTS OFF WITH GOES-N SHORT | LONGER VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: WIDE-SCREEN VIEW FROM NASA CAUSEWAY PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND AUDIO: LISTEN TO THE NEWS CONFERENCE FOR IPOD VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF GOES-N LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: GOES-N HOISTED ATOP DELTA 4 ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: SPACECRAFT DRIVEN TO LAUNCH PAD 37B PLAY VIDEO: ROCKET NOSE CONE PLACED AROUND GOES-N PLAY VIDEO: GOES-N LIFTED TO ROCKET ADAPTER AT ASTROTECH PLAY VIDEO: AUGUST 15 LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED PLAY VIDEO: AUGUST 16 LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED PLAY VIDEO: VIEWS OF DELTA 4 ON THE PAD PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 314: Delta 2-7420 launches CALIPSO and CloudSat 7th shot the lucky one for Delta rocket launch You could say it was a dream for insomniacs but a nightmare for everyone else. A week of night-owl countdowns to launch a Boeing Delta 2 rocket loaded with two atmospheric research satellites ended in scrubs for one reason or another. But try number seven proved to be the lucky one April 28, as the Delta rocket successfully blasted off from California.    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    IMAGES: FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF! PLAY VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER VIEW OF LIFTOFF PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY FROM CAMERA ON BACK SIDE OF PAD PLAY VIDEO: CALIPSO SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED FROM ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: CLOUDSAT SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED FROM ROCKET PLAY VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH NASA LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY VIDEO: UPPER LEVEL WINDS SCRUB TUESDAY ATTEMPT PLAY VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEWS OF FIRST STAGE ENGINE STEERING TEST PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD TOWER ROLLED BACK MONDAY EVENING PLAY VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE DIAL-UP | BROADBAND VIDEO: SCIENCE OF CALIPSO/CLOUDSAT DIAL-UP | BROADBAND SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 2: Photo gallery of Friday's rocket launch This collection of images shows the Boeing Delta 2 rocket launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 3:02 a.m. local time with the CALIPSO and CloudSat atmospheric research satellites. Enjoy!    IMAGES: ENTER THE GALLERY Delta 313: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-14 GPS modernization begins with Delta rocket launch A Boeing Delta 2 booster pierced the night sky September 25, successfully launching the first modernized Global Positioning System satellite to build a bridge from the navigation network of today to the advancements of tomorrow.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PHOTO GALLERY: TOWER ROLL    PHOTO GALLERY: LAUNCH!    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-M1 QT VIDEO: LONGER CLIP SHOWING THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 312: Delta 2-7320 lofts NOAA-N Delta 2 rocket delivers weather satellite into space A weather observatory was successfully launched into orbit May 20 to build upon a 45-year history of tracking the Earth's environmental conditions from space.    MISSION STATUS CENTER Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH NOAA-N QT VIDEO: LONGER-LENGTH CLIP OF TODAY'S LAUNCH QT VIDEO: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM PAD FRONT CAMERA QT VIDEO: INFRARED TRACKING CAMERA FOLLOWS ROCKET QT VIDEO: UMBILICALS YANK AWAY FROM DELTA AT LIFTOFF QT VIDEO: SATELLITE AND ROCKET LAUNCH PREPS NARRATED QT VIDEO: LAST FRIDAY'S COUNTDOWN IS SCRUBBED QT VIDEO: WATCH THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 311: Delta 2-7925 lofts Deep Impact Probe launched to smack heart of wandering comet Look out Comet Tempel 1, here comes Deep Impact! A washing machine-sized projectile tucked inside its mothership spacecraft launched from Earth January 12 on a 268-million-mile collision course that promises to create spectacular July Fourth fireworks when the 820-pound copper-tipped bullet smashes into the comet's frigid heart.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PHOTO GALLERY: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    PHOTO GALLERY: ROCKET AT SUNRISE Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: DEEP IMPACT BLASTS OFF ATOP DELTA 2 ROCKET QT VIDEO: LONGER-DURATION MOVIE OF TODAY'S LAUNCH QT VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM THE CAPE PRESS SITE QT VIDEO: WIDER-ANGLE LAUNCH VIEW FROM PRESS SITE QT VIDEO: COCOA BEACH TRACKING CAMERA VIDEO OF LAUNCH QT VIDEO: TRACKER POSITIONED NORTH OF THE LAUNCH PAD QT VIDEO: PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKING CAMERA VIEW QT VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEW OF ENGINE IGNITION QT VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK BEFORE DAWN QT VIDEO: NARRATION OF DEEP IMPACT'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN QT VIDEO: ON-PAD ASSEMBLY OF ROCKET SHOWN WITH NARRATION QT VIDEO: TUESDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS UPDATE DIAL-UP | BROADBAND VIDEO: SCIENCE BRIEFING ON EVE OF LAUNCH DIAL-UP | BROADBAND VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF NASA'S DEEP IMPACT MISSION QT VIDEO: LEAD RESEARCHER PREVIEWS DEEP IMPACT SCIENCE QT VIDEO: WATCH DEEP IMPACT PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 310: Delta 4-Heavy demo flight Delta 4-Heavy rocket hits snag on test flight The test launch of Boeing's Delta 4-Heavy rocket began with a breath-taking blastoff from Cape Canaveral on December 21 but lower-than-expected performance during the initial minutes of flight ultimately caused the mission to fall short of its intended orbit.    MISSION COVERAGE    PHOTO GALLERY: FIRST LAUNCH VIEWS    PHOTO GALLERY: ROCKET FLIES DOWNRANGE    PHOTO GALLERY: CAMERAS AT LAUNCH PAD    PHOTO GALLERY: MORE STUNNING PICTURES Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: FROM LIFTOFF TO BOOSTER SEPARATION QT VIDEO: THE DELTA 4-HEAVY LAUNCH (SHORT VERSION) QT VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA RECORDS LAUNCH QT VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA SEES BOOSTER SEPARATION QT VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA CAPTURES FAIRING JETTISON QT AUDIO: LISTEN TO THE 68-MINUTE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT VIDEO: ANIMATION PROVIDES PREVIEW OF A DELTA 4-HEAVY LAUNCH QT VIDEO: RE-LIVE THE INAUGURAL DELTA 4 LAUNCH FROM 2002 QT VIDEO: ON-PAD FLIGHT READINESS ENGINE FIRING TEST QT VIDEO: TAKE TOUR OF LAUNCH PAD 37B QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 309: Delta 2-7320 launches Swift Spacecraft launched to observe cataclysmic blasts NASA launched a $250 million quick-response satellite November 20 to study enigmatic gamma ray flashes from brief-but-titanic deep space explosions that may be the "death cries" of massive stars imploding to form black holes.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH SWIFT QT VIDEO: COCOA BEACH TRACKING CAMERA VIDEO OF LAUNCH QT VIDEO: CAMCORDER VIEW OF LAUNCH FROM CAPE PRESS SITE QT VIDEO: ONBOARD ROCKET CAMERA SHOWS NOSE CONE JETTISON QT VIDEO: ONBOARD ROCKET CAMERA SHOWS DEPLOYMENT OF SWIFT QT VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK BEFORE DAWN QT VIDEO: SWIFT'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN SHOWN WITH NARRATION QT VIDEO: ENTIRE ON-PAD ASSEMBLY OF ROCKET WITH NARRATION QT VIDEO: TUESDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT VIDEO: INTERNATIONAL SCIENTISTS DISCUSS SWIFT QT VIDEO: NEWS CONFERENCE PREVIEWS THE SWIFT MISSION QT VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET FIRST STAGE IS ERECTED ON PAD 17A QT VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS ARE RAISED INTO TOWER QT VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER MOVES SRBS INTO PLACE QT VIDEO: NOSE CONE HOISTED INTO PAD CLEANROOM QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Photo collection: Successful launch of Swift spacecraft NASA's Swift gamma-ray observatory was launched aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral at 12:16 p.m. EST November 20. These photo galleries follow the day's activities and successful blastoff into crystal-clear skies.    PHOTO GALLERY: SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK    PHOTO GALLERY: DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTOFF Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: RARE CLOSE-UP VIEW OF VERNIER ENGINE IGNITION QT VIDEO: ENGINEERING CAMERA VIEW OF VEHICLE LIFTING OFF QT VIDEO: DRAMATIC LIFTOFF FOOTAGE FROM LAUNCH PAD TOWER QT VIDEO: PRESS SITE 1 CAMERA FOLLOWS THE ASCENT QT VIDEO: PLAYALINDA BEACH CAMERA VIEW QT VIDEO: UCS 3 CAMERA TRACKING SITE ANGLE QT VIDEO: ANOTHER TRACKING CAMERA VIEW QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 308: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-13 Delta rocket puts on late-night show with GPS launch After a nerve-racking stay on its Cape Canaveral launch pad with uncomfortably close encounters by two powerful hurricanes, a Boeing Delta 2 rocket finally thundered into space November 6 where it successfully deployed a Global Positioning System satellite to aid U.S. military forces around the world.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PHOTO GALLERY: FRIDAY'S TOWER ROLLBACK    PHOTO GALLERY: FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-13 QT VIDEO: LONGER CLIP SHOWING THE NIGHTTIME ASCENT QT VIDEO: ALARM STOPS FRIDAY MORNING'S COUNTDOWN QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 307: Delta 2-7925H lofts MESSENGER Probe leaves Earth on voyage to orbit Mercury A Boeing Delta 2 rocket roared to life August 3 and climbed into space, launching NASA's ambitious MESSENGER probe on a round-about six-and-a-half-year voyage to Mercury, a $427 million quest to fill in one of the most glaring blanks in planetary exploration.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    OUR PREVIEW STORY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH MESSENGER QT VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEW OF MAIN ENGINE IGNITION QT VIDEO: UMBILICAL TOWER CAMERA VIDEO OF LIFTOFF QT VIDEO: FIERY BLASTOFF AS CAPTURED BY PAD CAMERA QT VIDEO: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM PLAYALINDA BEACH QT VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM CAPE'S PRESS SITE 1 QT VIDEO: COCOA BEACH TRACKING CAMERA LAUNCH VIDEO QT VIDEO: VIEW FROM ALTERNATE PRESS VIEWING LOCATION QT VIDEO: POWERFUL TRACKING CAMERA OFFERS THIS ANGLE QT VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEW OF BOOSTER NOZZLES DURING ASCENT QT VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH NASA LAUNCH MANAGER QT VIDEO: SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK FOR SECOND COUNTDOWN QT VIDEO: BAD WEATHER SCRUBS MONDAY'S LAUNCH ATTEMPT QT VIDEO: WEATHER OFFICER GIVES FORECAST FOR TUESDAY QT VIDEO: MESSENGER'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN SHOWN WITH NARRATION QT VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET IS ASSEMBLED ON THE LAUNCH PAD QT VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER IS ROLLED BACK SUNDAY EVENING QT VIDEO: SATURDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT VIDEO: MESSENGER PRE-LAUNCH SCIENCE BRIEFING QT VIDEO: WATCH THE MESSENGER OVERVIEW NEWS CONFERENCE QT SUBSCRIBE NOW MESSENGER launch told through photo collection NASA's MESSENGER space probe began its seven-year, five-billion mile journey from Earth to the planet Mercury aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket. These two photo galleries capture the countdown and the actual launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.    PRE-LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Delta 306: Delta 2-7920 launches Aura Craft launched to probe atmosphere's chemistry A school bus-sized space observatory that will monitor the health of Earth's atmosphere in unprecedented detail rocketed into polar orbit July 15, finally darting away from its California launch pad atop a Boeing Delta 2 booster after several frustrating delays.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: THE DELTA ROCKET LAUNCHES AURA QT VIDEO: AURA IS DEPLOYED FROM THE DELTA ROCKET QT VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH NASA LAUNCH DIRECTOR QT VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S LAUNCH ATTEMPT IS SCRUBBED QT VIDEO: LAUNCH DIRECTOR EXPLAINS WEDNESDAY'S PROBLEMS QT VIDEO: TUESDAY'S LAUNCH ATTEMPT IS SCRUBBED QT VIDEO: AURA'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN SHOWN WITH NARRATION QT VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET IS ASSEMBLED ON THE LAUNCH PAD QT VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER IS ROLLED BACK MONDAY EVENING QT VIDEO: ANIMATION SHOWS DELTA LAUNCHING AURA INTO ORBIT QT VIDEO: AURA SCIENTIST EXPLAINS WHAT MISSION AIMS TO DO QT VIDEO: WATCH FRIDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT VIDEO: ANIMATION OF AURA STUDYING THE ATMOSPHERE QT VIDEO: FLASHBACK TO THE AQUA LAUNCH IN 2002 QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 305: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-12 Delta rocket successfully launches one for The Gipper Finally winning the battle over Florida's summertime weather after three earlier losses, a Boeing Delta 2 rocket roared to space June 23 and deployed a Global Positioning System military navigation satellite in a mission dedicated to the memory of President Ronald Reagan.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    TUESDAY'S UPDATE STORY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-12 QT VIDEO: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM PRESS SITE QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Launch photo collection This gallery of launch pictures captures the successful flight of Boeing's Delta 2 rocket carrying the GPS 2R-12 spacecraft as seen from sound-activated cameras at pad 17B, the press viewing site at Cape Canaveral and more.    OPEN GALLERY Photos show launch preps These photos were taken Wednesday morning as the mobile service tower was rolled away from the Boeing Delta 2 rocket at launch pad 17B.    OPEN GALLERY    SATURDAY'S TOWER ROLL BACK GALLERY Delta 304: Delta 2-7920 launches Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft launched to test Albert Einstein's theories A slender Boeing Delta 2 rocket boosted NASA's Gravity Probe B spacecraft into polar orbit April 20, kicking off a $700 million mission to precisely measure how gravity warps and twists the fabric of space and time.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: GRAVITY PROBE-B LAUNCHES ATOP DELTA ROCKET QT VIDEO: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM MOBILE SERVICE TOWER QT VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD UMBILICALS YANK AWAY AT LIFTOFF QT VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY FROM CAMERA ON BACK SIDE OF PAD QT VIDEO: ROCKET CAMERA SHOWS GRAVITY PROBE-B DEPLOYMENT QT VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH NASA LAUNCH MANAGER QT MORE GRAVITY PROBE-B VIDEO COVERAGE! SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 303: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-11 Newest GPS spacecraft successfully soars into orbit As the 50th Global Positioning System satellite rose to space March 20, it celebrated the man who championed the concept of orbiting spacecraft serving as "lighthouses in the sky" to guide mankind with precision navigation information.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-11 QT    VIDEO: LONGER LENGTH LAUNCH MOVIE QT    VIDEO: SPACECRAFT SEPARATION ANNOUNCED QT    VIDEO: FIRST COUNTDOWN HALTED BY ALARM QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 302: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-10 Upgraded satellite en route to GPS constellation With a flash of blinding light, a $45 million replacement craft began its thunderous trek toward the U.S. military's Global Positioning System constellation December 21 aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM CAPE PRESS SITE QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 301: Delta 4 Medium launches DSCS B6 Delta 4 rocket delivers last Air Force DSCS satellite After four decades and two dozen launches, the Air Force's longest-running communications satellite system received its final member August 29 with the successful flight of Boeing's Delta 4 rocket.    FULL STORY    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: 5 1/2-MINUTE CLIP OF DELTA 4 ROCKET LAUNCHING QT    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF THE LIFTOFF QT    VIDEO: ONBOARD VIEW OF DSCS 3-B6 DEPLOYING QT    VIDEO: ANOTHER CAMERA VIEW OF SPACECRAFT SEPARATION QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 300: Delta 2-7920H launches SIRTF 300th Delta rocket launches new window on Universe With a sky-lighting burst of flame and thunder, a Boeing Delta 2 rocket boosted a $1.2 billion infrared telescope into space August 25, a "great observatory" designed to detect the feeble glow of infant planets, stars and galaxies in the making.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: FIVE-MINUTE MOVIE OF DELTA LAUNCHING SIRTF QT    VIDEO: POWERFUL TRACKING CAMERA VIEW OF LAUNCH QT    VIDEO: VIEW FROM PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE BEACH QT    VIDEO: CAPE CANAVERAL PRESS SITE VIEW OF LIFTOFF QT    VIDEO: REPLAY FROM LAUNCH PAD ENGINEERING CAMERA QT    VIDEO: A CLOSE-UP VIEW OF FIRST STAGE ENGINE IGNITION QT    VIDEO: NASA LAUNCH MANAGER RECAPS COUNTDOWN & ASCENT QT    VIDEO: STATUS OF SIRTF ANNOUNCED AFTER LAUNCH QT    VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK SUNDAY QT    VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF DELTA 2 ROCKET BEING STACKED QT    VIDEO: NARRATED MOVIE SHOWS SIRTF LAUNCH PREPS QT    VIDEO: WATCH FRIDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT    VIDEO: LEARN ABOUT SIRTF IN PRE-FLIGHT SCIENCE BRIEFING QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 299: Delta 2-7925H launches MER-B Earth's Opportunity rover launched to Mars Recovering from a last-second cliffhanger delay, NASA finally launched its second state-of-the-art rover to Mars on July 7, sending the $400 million "Opportunity" spacecraft on its way atop a hot-rod Delta 2 rocket that lighted the night sky for dozens of miles around.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: 5-MINUTE MOVIE OF DELTA LAUNCHING OPPORTUNITY QT    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA THROUGH FIRST STAGE CUTOFF QT    VIDEO: CAPE CANAVERAL PRESS SITE REPLAY QT    VIDEO: TRACKING CAMERA VIEW FROM PATRICK AFB QT    VIDEO: POWERFUL TRACKER FOLLOWS THE ROCKET QT    VIDEO: VIEW FROM THE SKID STRIP RUNWAY QT    VIDEO: LAUNCH MANAGER RECAPS COUNTDOWN AND ASCENT QT    VIDEO: STATUS OF OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCED AFTER LAUNCH QT    VIDEO: MONDAY'S ROLLBACK OF MOBILE SERVICE TOWER QT    PHOTOS: 8-PICTURE GALLERY FROM ONBOARD CAMERA OPEN    VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE VIEW OF MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLBACK QT    VIDEO: NARRATED MOVIE SHOWS 'OPPORTUNITY' LAUNCH PREPS QT    VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF DELTA 2 ROCKET BEING STACKED QT    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF MER-A "SPIRIT" LAUNCH QT    PHOTOS: 19-PICTURE GALLERY FROM "SPIRIT" ONBOARD CAMERA OPEN    FULL VIDEO COLLECTION    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 298: Delta 2-7925 launches MER-A 'Spirit' rover begins seven-month cruise to Mars NASA kicked off an $800 million mission to Mars on June 10, launching the first of two golf cart-sized robots that will creep across the red planet's surface looking for the geological traces of a warmer, wetter past and the environmental conditions necessary for the evolution of life.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: MARS ROVER SPIRIT LAUNCHED QT    VIDEO: SPACEFLIGHT NOW LAUNCH VIEW FROM PRESS AREA QT    VIDEO: TRACKING CAMERA VIEW FROM PATRICK AFB QT    VIDEO: POWERFUL TRACKER FOLLOWS THE ROCKET QT    VIDEO: CAPE CANAVERAL PRESS SITE 1 REPLAY QT    VIDEO: VIEW FROM THE SKID STRIP RUNWAY QT    VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT    VIDEO: NAMING CEREMONY FOR MARS ROVERS QT    VIDEO: WEATHER SCRUBS SUNDAY LAUNCH ATTEMPT QT    VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 297: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-9 Delta doesn't disappoint in successful GPS launch A new satellite to replenish the U.S. military's preeminent space-based navigation network roared off the planet March 31, destined to circle 11,000 miles above the globe to guide soldiers in the battlefield and civilians around the world.    FULL STORY    LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH GPS 2R-9 QT    VIDEO: ALTERNATE VIEW OF LIFTOFF FROM NORTH OF PAD QT    VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH LAUNCH SQUADRON COMMANDER QT    VIDEO: INSIGHT ABOUT GPS FROM GULF WAR VETERAN QT    VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH COMMENTS FROM BLS PRESIDENT QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 296: Delta 4 Medium launches DSCS A3 Delta 4 rocket successfully begins military service Born in the last decade by the Pentagon's call for a next-generation launcher of satellite cargos, Boeing's Delta 4 rocket did what it was designed to do March 10 with the successful deployment of a $210 million military communications spacecraft. It was the Air Force's first Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle mission.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: THE BOEING DELTA 4 ROCKET BLASTS OFF QT    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF DSCS SEPARATING QT    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 295: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-8 Delta rocket launches GPS navigation satellite For the first time in two years, a replacement satellite is en route to bolster the U.S. military's Global Positioning System constellation following a successful launch January 29 that was dedicated to the heroes of September 11.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH GPS 2R-8 QT or RV    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 294: Delta 2-7320 launches ICESat and CHIPSat Delta 2 pulls double duty with launch of two satellites Two NASA spacecraft -- one that will bounce laser beams off Earth to gauge environmental changes, the other to study relics of a supernova explosion in our galactic neighborhood -- rode a Boeing Delta 2 rocket into orbit January 12 from California.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: FIVE-MINUTE CLIP OF THE DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: AERIAL VIEW OF DELTA SOARING AT SUNSET QT or RV    VIDEO: REPLAY FROM CAMERA BEHIND THE PAD QT or RV    VIDEO: LAUNCH ANGLE FROM IN FRONT OF PAD QT or RV    VIDEO: VIEW OF UMBILICALS PULLING AWAY AT LIFTOFF QT or RV    VIDEO: NASA LAUNCH MANAGER'S POST-FLIGHT COMMENTS QT or RV    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 293: Delta 4 Medium+ launches W5 Boeing's Delta 4 rocket debuts successfully The era of Boeing's next-generation rocket family was launched with success November 20 as the maiden Delta 4 powered its way into Earth orbit to deploy a European-made communications satellite.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    ARCHIVED DELTA 4 COVERAGE Delta 292: Delta 2-7425 launches CONTOUR Probe launched to see fossils of planet formation A tiny space probe was dispatched from Earth July 3 for a tantalizing tour of comets -- the frozen time capsules that hold the primordial building blocks left over from the creation of our solar system.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: LIVE NASA TV COVERAGE OF CONTOUR'S LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEW OF ENGINE IGNITION QT or RV    VIDEO: SPECTACULAR ANGLE FROM CAMERA ON TOWER QT or RV    VIDEO: TRACKING CAMERA VIEW FROM PATRICK AFB QT or RV    VIDEO: PRESS SITE VIEW OF THE LIFTOFF QT or RV    VIDEO: MOBILE TOWER ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF DELTA ROCKET PROCESSING QT or RV    VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV    VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH SCIENCE BRIEFING QT or RV    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 291: Delta 2-7920 launches Aqua New environmental eye on Earth launched into space Touted as a "grand observatory" to study planet Earth's water resources from space, NASA's Aqua satellite flew to its orbital perch May 4 atop a Boeing Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP    OVERVIEW OF AQUA SPACECRAFT    ROCKET FACT SHEET Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: AQUA LIFTS OFF FROM VANDENBERG QT or RV    VIDEO: UMBILICALS FALL AWAY AS AQUA LAUNCHES QT or RV    VIDEO: PRESS SITE VIEW OF AQUA LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD VIEW OF AQUA LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING OF DELTA ROCKET QT or RV    VIDEO: AQUA PREPARED FOR LAUNCH AT VANDENBERG QT or RV    VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER IS ROLLED BACK QT or RV    VIDEO: ANIMATION PREVIEW OF THIS DELTA 2 LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: ANIMATION OF AQUA WORKING IN SPACE QT or RV    MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX    SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 290: Delta 2-7920 lofts Iridium sats Delta 2 rocket launches quintet of Iridium satellites Five new satellites that will help keep the resurrected Iridium mobile communications system operating through the decade rode into space February 11 aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE    GROUND TRACK MAP Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: BOEING DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF QT or RV    VIDEO: INCREDIBLE AERIAL VIEW OF LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: INFRARED CAMERA VIEW OF ROCKET STAGING QT or RV    VIDEO: ANIMATION PREVIEW OF THIS DELTA 2 FLIGHT QT or RV    VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PREPARATIONS OF ROCKET QT or RV    MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX Delta 289: Delta 2-7920 lofts Jason/TIMED Two science satellites launched by 100th Delta 2 Two spacecraft that will use the unique vantage point of space to study our home planet were successfully launched into orbit December 7 by the 100th Boeing Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: RE-EDIT OF FULL LAUNCH VIDEO QT or RV    VIDEO: DELTA 2 LAUNCHES INTO MORNING SKY QT or RV    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF LIFTOFF QT or RV    VIDEO: ONBOARD VIEW OF BOOSTER SEPARATION QT or RV    VIDEO: ONBOARD VIEW OF ROCKET STAGING QT or RV    MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX Delta 288: Delta 2-7320 launches QuickBird Commercial Earth-imager rockets into space on Delta Its name is QuickBird and it will take pictures of Earth's surface with unprecedented clarity for a commercial eye-in-the-sky imaging satellite. The spacecraft was successfully launched into orbit October 18 by the workhorse Boeing Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    DETAILED LAUNCH TIMELINE    QUICKBIRD BACKGROUND INFO    ROCKET FACT SHEET Video coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: DELTA LIFTS OFF WITH QUICKBIRD QT or RV    VIDEO: DRAMATIC AERIAL VIEW OF LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: SERVICE TOWER ROLLS AWAY FROM ROCKET QT or RV    VIDEO: ANIMATION OF QUICKBIRD IN SPACE QT or RV    MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX Delta 287: Delta 2-7326 launches Genesis NASA probe launched to retrieve bits of our origins NASA's Genesis spacecraft was successfully launched on its three-year, 20-million mile voyage by a Boeing Delta 2 rocket on August 8, kicking off the $260 million mission that aims to catch particles streaming from the Sun and return them to scientists on Earth.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Additional coverage for subscribers only:    VIDEO: GENESIS LAUNCH QT or RV    VIDEO: ONBOARD VIEW OF STAGING QT or RV    VIDEO: ROCKETCAM VIEW OF NOSE CONE FALLING QT or RV    VIDEO: LAUNCH VIEW FROM JETTY PARK QT or RV    VIDEO: ENGINEERING LAUNCH CLOSE-UPS QT or RV    VIDEO: GENESIS MISSION ANIMATION QT or RV Delta 286: Delta 2-7425 launches MAP Craft launched to unlock secrets of the universe A NASA space probe designed to map the afterglow of the Big Bang -- the fossil light from the creation of the universe 14 billion years ago -- was launched into space on June 30 atop a Boeing Delta 2 rocket.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Delta 285: Delta 2-7925 launches GeoLITE Delta 2 lofts spy satellite technology demonstrator A $130 million experimental laser communications testbed spacecraft launched May 18 could pave the way for quicker transmission of reconnaissance information from U.S. spy satellites back to Earth.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Delta 284: Delta 2-7925 lofts Mars Odyssey Martian odyssey begins with successful liftoff NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft set sail for the Red Planet on April 7, departing Earth aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket fitted with two video cameras that provided spectacular views of the thunderous blastoff.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    SCIENCE REPORT    VIDEO: DELTA 2 LIFTS OFF    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF LAUNCH    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA SHOWS STAGING    VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF SPIN UP Delta 283: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-7 Boeing Delta 2 rocket lofts another GPS satellite Exactly ten years after the U.S. military troops reaped the benefits from the Global Positioning System while fighting the Gulf War in featureless deserts, a new satellite was launched into orbit January 30 to keep the constellation going.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF Delta 282: Delta 2-7320 lofts EO-1 & SAC-C Delta 2 rocket puts three satellites into Earth orbit Three spacecraft that will study Earth from above were carried aloft November 21 aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket including one that promises to make future remote sensing satellites faster, better and cheaper.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Delta 281: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-6 Venerable Delta 2 notches another successful launch A $45 million replacement satellite for the Global Positioning System constellation was lobed into space on November 10 by a Boeing Delta 2 rocket following a midday blastoff from Cape Canaveral.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    VIDEO: DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF Delta 280: Delta 3-8930 on test flight Delta 3 falls short but still a success, Boeing says Boeing's Delta 3 rocket launched August 23 missed its target orbit by over a thousand miles, but company officials are still hailing the demonstration mission as a complete success. The $85 million booster lofted a satellite mockup to prove its reliability after two earlier failures.    FULL STORY    LAUNCH STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER For complete mission coverage choose from this menu:       Delta 279: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-5 Delta shows what it's like to launch into the night As a Boeing Delta 2 rocket successfully lofted a new U.S. Air Force navigation satellite on Sunday, two onboard video cameras provided dazzling views of the predawn jaunt into space.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    PREVIOUS ROCKETCAM CLIPS Delta 278: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-4 Delta rocket lofts replacement GPS satellite A fresh spacecraft was launched into orbit for the U.S. Air Force's Global Positioning System on May 10 to fill a void created by the recent loss of the constellation's inaugural satellite.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER    LAUNCH VIDEO (QuickTime file) Delta rocket launch to fill vacant hole in GPS network A new Global Positioning System military navigation satellite will be launched into space Friday night to replace the very first spacecraft deployed in the U.S. Air Force constellation 11 years ago.    FULL STORY Delta 277: Delta 2-7326 launches IMAGE Space weather satellite launched by Boeing rocket A NASA satellite built to see Earth's invisible magnetosphere was trucked into orbit on March 25 by a Boeing Delta 2 rocket. The IMAGE probe will serve as a new pair of eyes in space to study the solar wind and its affect on the planet.    FULL STORY    VIRTUAL VANDENBERG (explore SLC-2) Delta 276: Delta 2-7420 launches Globalstars Globalstar constellation completed with Delta launch A Boeing Delta 2 rocket added the final touches to Globalstar's orbiting armada of cellular telephone satellites on February 8, delivering the last four spacecraft into orbit.    FULL STORY    MISSION STATUS CENTER Boeing Delta 2 rocket to fly for Globalstar The first Boeing Delta rocket launch of 2000, a $110 million mission dedicated to completing Globalstar's space-based cellular telephone system, is planned for February 8 at Cape Canaveral.    FULL STORY Delta 275: Delta 2-7925 launches GPS 2R-3 Delta 2 rocket successfully launches GPS satellite The final Boeing Delta 2 launch of 1999 occurred on October 7, boosting a U.S. Air Force NAVSTAR Global Positioning System Block 2R navigation satellite into space.    FULL STORY