U S Air Force Titan II launches NOAA-M 06-24-2002
Lockheed Martin U.S. Air force Titan II launched NOAA-M (NOAA 17) Titan II rocket, which once stood as a nuclear-tipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in Little Rock, Arkansas from 1969 to 1987, was converted to the peaceful means of launching the NOAA-M weather observatory to space.
"NOAA-M is locked, cocked and ready to rock," a spacecraft launch team member announced as clocks ticked off the final minutes of a 26-hour countdown.
At 1823 GMT (2:23 p.m. EDT; 11:23 a.m. PDT), the Titan 2's first stage fired to life, building up nearly a half-million pounds of thrust before explosive bolts holding the rocket to Earth were popped.
The rocket was swallowed by low clouds and fog as it cleared the pad's tower, a trademark occurrance for launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's Central Coast.
Read More"NOAA-M is locked, cocked and ready to rock," a spacecraft launch team member announced as clocks ticked off the final minutes of a 26-hour countdown.
At 1823 GMT (2:23 p.m. EDT; 11:23 a.m. PDT), the Titan 2's first stage fired to life, building up nearly a half-million pounds of thrust before explosive bolts holding the rocket to Earth were popped.
The rocket was swallowed by low clouds and fog as it cleared the pad's tower, a trademark occurrance for launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's Central Coast.
