Boeing's commercial launch business has successfully launched the GeoEye-1 satellite today aboard a Delta II rocket procured from United Launch Alliance (ULA). Liftoff occurred, Saturday, at 11:50 a.m. Pacific time from launch pad SLC-2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The ULA Delta II rocket deployed the spacecraft approximately 58 minutes after liftoff.

GeoEye-1 will have the highest resolution of any commercial imaging system, capable of collecting images with a ground resolution of 16 inches (.41 meters) in panchromatic (black-and-white) mode. Virginia-based GeoEye is the premier provider of geospatial information for the national security community, strategic partners, resellers and commercial customers.

"This launch signifies Boeing's continued commitment to provide our commercial customers with the Delta II vehicle, which has a 98.5 percent launch success rate," said Ken Heinly, director of Boeing's Launch Products & Services and Boeing Launch Services president.

GeoEye-1 weighs about 4,300 pounds and is designed to take images of the Earth from 425 miles in space while moving at a speed of about four-and-a-half miles per second. The satellite will collect imagery that can distinguish objects on the Earth's surface as small as 0.41-meters (16 inches) in size in the panchromatic mode. GeoEye-1 also carries a 1.65-meter resolution multispectral or color sensor.

Boeing Launch Services is a customer-focused subsidiary that provides business development, sales, procurement and program management of Delta launch services for commercial customers. It is part of the Space Exploration division of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and is based in Huntington Beach, Calif.

FMI: www.boeing.com