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Vandenberg officials launch Delta II rocket

10/27/2008 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Vandenberg Air Force Base officials successfully launched a Delta II rocket carrying the Thales Alenia-Space COSMO-SkyMed 3 satellite at 7:28 p.m. PDT Oct. 24 from Space Launch Complex-2 here.

The 30th Space Wing team supported the United Launch Alliance in preparing for the launch just six weeks after the successful launch of the GeoEye-1 satellite in September.

Normally Space Launch Complex-2 crews have three to four months to prepare for a launch.

The Delta II is an expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle. It carries civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geosynchronous transfer and stationary orbits. For approximately two decades, the Delta II has been a workhorse in the world of spacelift with 134 successful launches.

The COSMO-SkyMed 3 satellite, entirely developed and produced in Italy, is an end-to-end Earth observation dual-use (civilian and military) system composed of four satellites and ground stations. The first two COSMO-SkyMed satellites were launched at Vandenberg AFB in June and December 2007.

"People don't always think about it, but this is rocket science, and our Airmen and industry partners make it look easy," said Col. David Buck, the 30th Space Wing commander and the spacelift commander for this mission. "(Vandenberg Airmen were a) part of an international effort to assure our allies a gateway to space."