BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Boeing Delta 2 rocket with NASA's ICESat and CHIPSat spacecraft. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

Spaceflight Now Plus
Video coverage for subscribers only:
   VIDEO: FIVE-MINUTE CLIP OF THE DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCH QT or RV
   VIDEO: AERIAL VIEW OF DELTA SOARING AT SUNSET QT or RV
   VIDEO: REPLAY FROM CAMERA BEHIND THE PAD QT or RV
   VIDEO: LAUNCH ANGLE FROM IN FRONT OF PAD QT or RV
   VIDEO: VIEW OF UMBILICALS PULLING AWAY AT LIFTOFF QT or RV
   VIDEO: NASA LAUNCH MANAGER'S POST-FLIGHT COMMENTS QT or RV
   VIDEO: WATCH FRIDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV
   VIDEO: NARRATED OVERVIEW OF THE ICESAT MISSION QT or RV
   VIDEO: COMMENTS FROM ICESAT PROJECT SCIENTIST QT or RV
   VIDEO: ANIMATION OF CHIPSAT ORBITING EARTH QT or RV
   VIDEO: COMMENTS FROM CHIPSAT PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR QT or RV
   SUBSCRIBE NOW

Read our earlier status center coverage.

Snapshot

The Delta 2 rocket launches with ICESat and CHIPSat. Photo: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now
Photo gallery
When the mobile service tower was rolled away from the Delta 2 rocket Saturday morning, veteran aerospace photographer William G. Hartenstein was at the launch pad. Here is a collection of images taken during the tower retraction.
  OPEN GALLERY
Flight Data File
Vehicle: Delta 2 (7320-10C)
Payload: ICESat and CHIPSat
Launch date: Jan. 12, 2003
Launch time: 7:45-8:30 p.m. EST (0045-0130 GMT Jan. 13)
Launch site: SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
Satellite broadcast: AMC 2, Transponder 9, C-band
Pre-launch briefing
Launch timeline - Chart with times and descriptions of events to occur during the launch.

Orbit trace - Maps showing the ground track for the launch.

ICESat - Overview of NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite.

CHIPSat - Description of NASA's Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer Satellite.

Science goals - Story on the science objectives of ICESat and CHIPSat.

Delta 2 rocket - Overview of the Delta 2 7320-model rocket used in this launch.

SLC-2W - The launch pad where Delta rockets fly from Vandenberg.

Delta directory - See our coverage of preview Delta rocket flights.
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