Delta II/Cloudsat-Calipso Launches from
 Vandenberg AFB. 


 Delta II launches with 4 SRB's for the first time from Vandenberg AFB. on April 28, 2006.

 ( Read more about this mission click here)


On the 7th try the Delta II/CloudSat  launches at 3:02:16am PDT.
(More launch photos below!)



The day before launch is remote camera setup. Here NASA photographer Bill Ingalls lines up his cameras.


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 This photo shows the MST rolling back exposing the Delta II on Thursday April 20, 2006.




Photographer Tom Rogers captures the Delta II after tower roll.




This wide angle photo includes both the Delta II and 177-foot tall mobile service tower.




This will be the first launch of the Delta II with 4 SRBs from VAFB.
























This photo taken from a wide angle camera  the day before launch shows the low clouds moving in.
 It is the same camera that captured the liftoff below.




Wide angle Digital Canon 10D captures the Delta II climbing up!




Here you can see the difference between digital and film! This photo was taken with 100asa film!




A 600mm lens captures liftoff from the Press Site 3.3 miles away.




This attempt at a streak shot was washed out by the fog and low clouds.
It took took only 5 seconds for the Delta II to disappear into the clouds!




This 1 min. 40 sec. streak photo was taken about 50 miles to the East of SLC-2 from just above the city of Santa Barbara.




One hour after launch it was really foggy at SLC-2 but both spacecraft were in orbit!




This photo was taken on the way home off the Hwy. 101 just north of Santa Barbara about 5:30am
and shows the contrail to the right and the planet Venus on the left side.



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