VIDEO: This Morning's Delta 2 Launch

Delta 2-7920 lifts-off this morning at 8:20 am EDT.

Delta II rocket Launches Missle Defense Satellite

A Delta 2 rocket lifted-off into the blue skies of America's Space Coast this morning on a military duo satellite delivery mission following a two day delay due to weather and a pad fuel leak.

A United Launch Alliance Delta 2-7920 lifted-off from launch complex 17-B here at Cape Canaveral at 8:20 am EDT. As the rocket cleared the tower, it's Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and six rocket boosters began to arc northeastward while speeding past thing clouds and into sunny weather. Launch temperature was 79 degrees F.

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The white and blue Delta II flew parallel with the United States east coast as it headed up toward the north Atlantic Ocean carrying two missile defense agency satellites. The orbital inclination for both spacecraft will be at 58.0 degrees - a very high inclination orbit to cover most of the planet's surface.

The two satellites -- Space Vehicle 1 & 2 -- which are joined together to form the Space Tracking and Surveillance System – Demonstrators (STSS Demo). Using both infrared and visible light sensors, the STSS Demo payload will give the military the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles in all phases of flight which could threaten the United States and her partner countries.

At 9:07 am, the first of the two satellites, Space Vehicle 1, separated from the second stage booster at an altitude of 730 nautical miles over the central Indian Ocean. Seven and one-half minutes later, the SV-2 satellite then separated as it cruised over the southern Indian Ocean at an altitude of 731 miles.


Once the satellite pair flew free of the Delta's second stage, ULA vice president Jim Sponnick stated, “Building on the launch of the STSS ATRR mission in May, I congratulate both the Missile Defense Agency and NASA for the start of a second successful mission that will demonstrate technologies very important to the defense of our nation”.

Delta II rocket fueled for Launch this Morning

A United Launch Alliance rocket with a missile defense satellite is fueled and ready to fly this morning following a two day delay due to weather and a fuel leak underneath the launch pad.

Launch of the Delta II-7920 with the STSS-Demo satellite is expected at 8:20 am EDT today, from launch complex 17-B here at Cape Canaveral, Air Force Station.

The liquid oxygen fuel loading was completed at 7:22 am this morning.

NASA, ULA to Launch Delta II on Friday

NASA and the United Launch Alliance will wait an additional 24 hours to try to launch a Delta II rocket from here at Cape Canaveral due to a small fuel leak detected following this morning weather scrub.

Launch managers have elected to stand down until Friday morning to resume the countdown of a Delta II-7920 at 8 AM EDT - the opening of a one hour launch window.

ULA told this reporter late this evening, "Following Wednesday morning's weather launch scrub, teams detected a small leak in a flange in the fuel transfer system under the launch pad. Both the Delta II and the STSS spacecraft have no technical issues."

Friday's launch date is not firm, but a target date based on how quickly technicians can fix the leak on Thursday.

Delta II Launch nears 8:59 am EDT Cape Launch

The Delta II launch team is not working any technical issues as they march toward an 8:59 am EDT target launch time - the final minute of a one hour launch window - this morning.

Rain and cumulus clouds in the Cape Canaveral region forced the launch team to delay the launch due to liquid oxygen fueling which cannot be loaded during a rain storm. At 8:04 am EDT, the launch team completed the loading of the LO2 following a one hour delay.

At 8:14 am, there is a small cumulus cloud 10 miles to the northeast of the pad the launch team was watching.

Delta II nears 8:39 am EDT Launch from Cape

A Delta II rocket is just moments away from an 8:39 am EDT launch from here at Cape Canaveral, AFS on a satellite delivery mission for the missile defense agency.

Cape weather officials are watching a small area of showers moving at 10 knots toward the northeast which will bring light precipitation to the launch pad. Currently, the launch team is red for both cumulus clouds and rain in the flight path of the Delta II.

The launch team is looking to push back the target launch time to the middle of the one hour launch window at this time.

Once launch occurs, the rocket will climb and begin steering toward the northeast and move up the United States coastline as it launches in a high inclination orbit of 58 degrees.

Delta II Remains set for Launch Tomorrow

A tropical wave bringing clouds and a chance of morning showers along the American Space Coast is the only item the launch team is focused on as the countdown for the launch of a Delta II rocket prepares to start.

At 4PM EDT today, the countdown was ready to pickup in a few hours at the T-12 hour mark. There is currently a 50% chance of favorable weather at the beginning of the launch windown which begins st 8AM tomorrow morning.

Loading of the liquid oxygen will begin at 6:30 am.

SpaceLaunchNews.com will begin LIVE television coverage of the prelaunch activites tomorrow morning at 5:58 am EDT.

ULA Delta II to Launch Missle Tracking Payload

A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is set to depart America's Space Coast on Wednesday with a new missile defense system tracking payload for the United States military.

Launch of the Delta II-7920 from launch complex 17B here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, is planned for September 23, sometime during a 58 minute launch window which begins at 8:00 am EDT.

The Delta II's payload will be two satellites -- SV1 & SV2 -- which are joined together to form the Space Tracking and Surveillance System – Demonstrators (STSS Demo). Using both infrared and visible light sensors, the STSS Demo payload will give the military the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles in all phases of flight which could threaten the United States and her partner countries.

Once lift-off occurs, the Delta II will fly parallel with the United States east coast as it head up toward the north Atlantic Ocean. About 47 minutes and 45 seconds after launch, the first of the two satellites, SV1, will separate from the second stage booster at an altitude of 730 nautical miles over the central Indian Ocean. Seven and one-half minutes later, the SV-2 satellite will separate over the southern Indian Ocean at an altitude of 731 miles.

The orbital inclination for both spacecraft will be at 58.0 degrees - a very high inclination orbit to cover most of the planet's surface.

Last week, the U.S. Air Force public relations told this reporter, "Once on orbit, MDA (missile defense agency) will assess the satellites’ ability to detect and track ballistic missiles and function as part of a multilayered missile defense architecture".


In a document (#PE 0603893C) recently made unclassified and obtained by SpaceLaunch News, the internal MDA paper produces a strong government argument for the need of this space based defense system:

"Space sensors like Space Tracking Surveillance Systems (STSS) provide the most cost effective and operationally suitable means of providing global persistent surveillance and engagement, directly addressing the number one missile defense priority need for STRATCOM and other Combatant Commanders. The STSS Demonstrator satellites will demonstrate the ability of a space sensor to provide high precision, real time tracking of missiles and midcourse objects, thus enabling simultaneous regional, theater, and strategic missile defense. Data from STSS testing planned for FY10 will validate the ability to track cold, midcourse objects and close the fire control loop with BMDS interceptors from space. Additionally, STSS provides a new infrared sensor phenomenology for the BMDS, which, when combined with radars, provides robustness against current and advanced counter measures."

According to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the "STSS Demonstrators Program is a mid course tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors and interceptors".

Later this year and through 2010, the STSS multi-satellites will be used to test its accuracy with several sea, air and land based test ICBM launches.

Built by the Northrop Grumman Corporation, the $830 million dollar STSS-Demo payload is being launched with the support of NASA and the U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing.

SpaceLaunchNews.com will carry the launch LIVE beginning at 6:00 am tomorrow. We will also have current updates via our Twitter feed beginning early in the day. Subscribe via Twitter for our updates to your mobile phone, Blackberry or iPhone today.

Delta II Launch Delayed into Next Week

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket has been delayed by several days due to reviews and sytems checks here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

In a statement by ULA late on Wednesday, "The Delta II STSS Demo mission launch date went TBD today. We don't expect this to last long. Mission managers are meeting at 3 p.m. EDT Thursday to review status. When a specific date is chosen, it'll be posted here. Highly confident Demo will launch the week of Sept. 21."