Sat, Jun 24, 2006
The June 21 launch of a
Boeing Delta II rocket marked the 250th launch of an
Aerojet-boosted Delta II.
Wednesday's launch vehicle successfully carried into orbit an
experimental payload for a joint U.S. Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), US Air Force and US Naval Research
Laboratory (NRL) team.
The Delta II lifted off at 6:15 pm EDT from the Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station in Florida, and successfully deployed the
Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment (MiTEx) some 30 minutes
later, a system designed to identify, integrate, test and evaluate
small satellite technologies.
"Today's mission was a great team effort, involving talented
people from DARPA, the Air Force, the launch range, The Aerospace
Corporation and our suppliers, as well as the professionals on the
Delta program," said Dan Collins, vice president of Boeing Launch
Systems. "The team faced many challenges, but maintained its focus
on quality and teamwork throughout the mission."
Aerojet provided the second stage AJ10-118K engine, to
complement the Delta II rocket's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
RS-27A main engine, nine Alliant Techsystems GEM 40 solid rocket
motors, and the Naval Research Laboratory upper stage used to
propel MiTEx into geosynchronous orbit.
The next Delta mission will be the first West Coast flight of a
Boeing Delta IV launch vehicle, carrying a payload for the US
National Reconnaissance Office from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
After a two-year delay, it is scheduled for launch June 27.
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