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)
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On the 7th try the Delta II/CloudSat launches at 3:02:16am
PDT.
(More launch photos below!)
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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.
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Photographer Tom Rogers captures the Delta II after tower roll.
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This wide angle photo includes both the Delta II and 177-foot tall
mobile service tower.
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This will be the first launch of the Delta II with 4 SRBs from VAFB.
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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.
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Wide angle Digital Canon 10D captures the Delta II climbing up!
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Here you can see the difference between digital and film! This photo
was taken with 100asa film!
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A 600mm lens captures liftoff from the Press Site 3.3 miles away.
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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!
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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.
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One hour after launch it was really foggy at SLC-2 but both spacecraft
were in orbit!
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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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