spacetoday.net: Delta 4 launches weather satellite

Posted: Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 4:33 AM ET (0833 GMT)
Delta 4 launch of GOES-O

A Delta 4 rocket successfully placed the latest US weather satellite into orbit Saturday evening. The Delta 4 Medium+ (4,2) vehicle lifted off at 6:51 pm EDT (2251 GMT) Saturday evening from pad 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Its payload, the GOES-O weather satellite, separated from the rocket's upper stage 4 hours and 21 minutes after launch, having been placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite, which will be renamed GOES-14 after entering its final orbit, was built by Boeing for NASA and will be operated by NOAA, initially serving as an on-orbit spare for existing operational satellites. The launch was delayed Friday because of stormy weather at the Cape and was pushed back into the latter half of its hour-long launch window Saturday, also because of weather.