ULA Delta ll launches Nasa's EO-1 SAC-C from Vandenberg AFB. CA. 11-21-2000

Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, at 10:24 a.m. on November 21 PST, carrying a payload of three satellites into orbit. The payload included NASA's Earth Observer-1 (EO-1), Argentina's SAC-C, and Sweden's Munin spacecraft. Sixty minutes after lift-off, EO-1 was successfully deployed in orbit; SAC-C was deployed about 30 minutes later, and Munin deployed shortly after that. All three satellites are performing well.

The launch of EO-1 marks the beginning of NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP), in which NASA is developing smaller, lighter spacecraft that meet or exceed the performance of current satellite technologies. The goal of NMP is to improve the on-orbit measurement capabilities of satellites while reducing the cost to build and launch them into space. Because its purpose is to demonstrate new technology on orbit, data from EO-1 will be made available only after the team completes its calibration and validation activities.

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Boeing Delta ll launched at 10:24:25 a.m. PST from Vandenberg AFB. CA. 11-22-2000

The launch of NASA's Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) satellite and the SAC-C spacecraft for the Argentine Commission on Space.
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Liftoff occurred at exactly 1824:25 GMT (1:24:25 p.m. EST) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking the start of the 282nd flight for the Delta family of rockets dating back 40 years.

EO-1 will provide on-orbit demonstration and validation of several subsystem technologies that will enable NASA to transitition to a series of smaller and lighter Earth Observation spacecrafts. EO-1 will contain an X-Band Phased Array Antenna, a lightweight flexible solar array, a pulse plasma thruster, enhanced formation flying, a Carbon-Carbon radiator and a new wideband advanced recorder/processor.

SAC-C will provide multispectral imaging of terrestrial and coastal environments. The spacecraft will provide studies of the structure and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere. The Earth's geomagnetic field will also be studied. SAC-C will seek to measure the space radiation in the environment and its influence on advanced electronic components. Also, the satellite will determine the migration route of the Franca whale. Lastly, SAC-C will verify autonomous methods of attitude and orbit determination.

11-22-2000

Delta Press