spacetoday.net: Delta 4 launches space surveillance satellites

Posted: Tue, Jul 29, 2014, 6:07 AM ET (1007 GMT)
Delta 4 launch of AFSPC-4 (ULA)

After four scrubs due to ground equipment and weather issues, a Delta 4 rocket successfully placed three military space surveillance satellites into orbit on Monday. The Delta 4 Medium+ (4,2) rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 7:28 pm EDT (2328 GMT) Monday. The launch took place more than halfway into a 65-minute launch window to allow weather conditions to improve. Launch attempts on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of last week were scrubbed by poor weather, and an initial launch attempt Wednesday was postponed by problems with ground support equipment. The mission, designed AFSPC-4, carried into orbit two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites and one Automated Navigation and Guidance Experiment for Local Space (ANGELS) satellite. The satellites will support surveillance of other satellites and debris, particularly in geosynchronous orbit. The existence of the GSSAP program was publicly revealed by the Air Force just earlier this year.