SMAP – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Video: Preparing Delta 2 and SMAP for flight

January 29, 2015 Justin Ray

Narrated flow tapes of the United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket and NASA’s SMAP spacecraft for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Photos: Gantry rollback from Delta 2

January 29, 2015 Justin Ray

The mobile service tower is retracted from the United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in preparation for the first launch attempt of NASA’s SMAP spacecraft.

Live coverage: Delta 2 launches

January 28, 2015 Justin Ray

A Delta 2 rocket has lifted off from California’s Central Coast on Saturday with a NASA environmental satellite designed to improve flood and drought forecasts, map moisture in Earth’s soils, and track the planet’s water cycle.

Video: Delta 2/SMAP pre-launch news conference

January 28, 2015 Justin Ray

NASA, United Launch Alliance and Air Force officials hold the pre-launch news conference for the Delta 2 rocket with the agency’s SMAP environmental satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Jan. 27.

All systems ‘go’ for Delta 2 rocket launch of SMAP

January 27, 2015 Justin Ray

The SMAP observatory to map soil moisture distribution from 426 miles in space and its workhorse booster have been cleared for launch Thursday morning from California.

Weather looking good for Delta 2 launch

January 27, 2015 Justin Ray

The weather outlook is 80 percent favorable for launch of the Delta 2 rocket early Thursday morning from California, with cloud thickness posing the only worry, meteorologists report.

Preview story: Launch of Delta 2 rocket with NASA probe Thursday

January 25, 2015 Justin Ray

From weather forecasting to agricultural benefits, a new NASA mission launching this week will provide unprecedented resolution, accuracy and coverage of soil moisture on a world-wide basis every three days for the next three years.

Flight Readiness Review passed for next week’s Delta 2 launch

January 23, 2015 Justin Ray

The Delta 2 rocket and the SMAP spacecraft passed the Flight Readiness Review today that assessed the progress of work and granted approval to proceed with loading the storable hypergolics into the second stage.

Photos: SMAP joins Delta 2 rocket

January 22, 2015 Justin Ray

This photo gallery shows NASA’s SMAP spacecraft arriving at the launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 2 and being hoisted atop the United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket.

Payload shroud installed on Delta 2 rocket for next week’s launch

January 21, 2015 Justin Ray

Installation of the Delta 2 rocket’s nose cone was completed Tuesday in the cleanroom of Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 2 gantry as preparations continue for the SMAP mission’s liftoff next Thursday.