Posted: Sat, May 4, 2002, 10:21 AM ET (1421 GMT)
A Delta 2 rocket successfully launched NASA's Aqua Earth-observing satellite early Saturday morning. The Delta 2 lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 5:55 am EDT (0955 GMT); the Aqua spacecraft separated from the booster an hour after liftoff. From its perch in a 700-km Sun-synchronous orbit, Aqua will focus on observations of the oceans, atmospheres, ice packs, and other water-related terrestrial phenomena. The spacecraft is the second in NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS), after the two-year-old Terra. A third EOS spacecraft is scheduled for launch in 2004.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  Spaceflight Now mission status center