Posted: Fri, Mar 5, 2010, 7:01 AM ET (1201 GMT)
A Delta 4 launch successfully placed a weather satellite into orbit Thursday night. The Delta 4 Medium+ (4,2) lifted off from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 6:57 pm EST (2357 GMT) Thursday and released the GOES-P satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit 4 hours and 21 minutes later. The launch was postponed by 40 minutes to allow upper-level winds to die down. The spacecraft is the third and final in the GOES N series of geostationary weather satellites; it will be renamed GOES 15 upon reaching its final orbit.

Related Links:

•  Florida Today article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  AP article
•  AFP article
•  NASA press release