ORLANDO, Fla. -- A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 spacecraft lifted off from Space Launch on Sept. 15 at 6:02 a.m.
- Final Delta II rocket launches
- Rocket carrying NASA's ICESat-2
- SPACE NEWS
This marks the final mission of the Delta II rocket, which first launched on Feb. 14, 1989, and launched 155 times including ICESat-2.
“ULA is proud that the Delta II rocket has been a significant piece of history, launching more than 50 missions for NASA,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “I sincerely thank the entire ULA team, NASA, U.S. Air Force, and all of our partners and suppliers who have worked diligently to launch the final Delta II rocket, as well as the dedication of the teams throughout the past 29 years of the program.”
ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements to create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering data that can precisely track changes of terrain including glaciers, sea ice, forests, and more.
This is ULA’s seventh launch in 2018 and the 130th successful launch since the company was formed in December 2006.
