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The Delta II rocket's second stage has completed its third burn, a brief pulse lasting just a few seconds. The next major milestones will be the deployments of the ELaNa XVIII CubeSats, which are housed inside deployers mounted on the second stage.
NASA's ICESat-2 spacecraft has separated from the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket's second stage following a successful climb to space that began with liftoff at 6:02 a.m. PDT (9:02 a.m. EDT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The second stage engine has shut down following its second burn. Separation of the ICESat-2 spacecraft is coming up.
Wide view of the liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA’s ICESat-2 spacecraft. Image credit: NASA TV
The Delta II rocket's second stage engine has completed its first burn. The rocket and ICESat-2 spacecraft are entering a 36-minute coast phase.
The Delta II rocket's first stage engine completed its burn on time and separated from the vehicle. The second stage engine is burning now. The payload fairing separated on schedule, exposing the ICESat-2 satellite to the space environment for the first time.
Ignition and liftoff! NASA's ICESat-2 spacecraft is on its way into orbit to embark on a three-year mission to measure the changing height of Earth's ice. The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is making its final climb into space after an early morning launch from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in …
The United Launch Alliance team is "go" for launch. The ICESat-2 spacecraft is configured for launch and has been transferred from ground to battery power. Countdown clocks are counting down from the T-minus 4 minute mark.
NASA Launch Manager Tim Dunn just conducted his team's final launch readiness poll and all are "go" for launch. "The NASA team is ‘go' for the ICESat-2 mission on the Delta II," Dunn said.
The launch team is working toward a new launch time of 6:02 a.m. PDT (9:02 a.m. EDT). The T-minus 4 minute hold has been extended to accommodate the new time.
