Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Delta II ICESat-2 Launch Highlights

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket carrying launch NASA’s Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission lifts off from Space Launc...

ICESat-2

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Space Launch Complex 2W Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA Probability: 100% #ICESat2

ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2) is a NASA Earth observation mission for measuring ice sheet elevation and sea ice freeboard, as well as land topography and vegetation characteristics.

Delta II

Family:
Configuration: 7420-10C

Delta II is an American space launch system developed by McDonnell Douglas, now part of the Delta rocket family operated by United Launch Alliance. With more than 150 missions and a nearly perfect track record, Delta II has established itself as one of the most successful orbital launch systems.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    38.7 m
  • Diameter
    2.4 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.0 m
  • Launch Mass
  • Thrust
    1895.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Delta II
  • Family
  • Variant
    7420-10C
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Delta II 7420-10C
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $51000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    3099.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance

(ULA)

CEO: Tory Bruno Founded: 2006 Successes: 165 Failures: 0 Pending: 44

Agency Type:

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

INFO WIKI

Related News

NASA

ICESat-2 Applications Team Hosts Satellite Bathymetry Workshop

Introduction On September 15, 2018, the NASA Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base and began its journey to provide spatially dense and fine precision global measurements of o…

SpaceNews

Fibertek Celebrates 2 Trillionth Laser Pulse on NASA’s ICESat-2 Mission

Fibertek proudly celebrates the achievement of 2 trillion laser shots fired from NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite in March 2025, marking more than six years of continuous, high-performance operation on orbit. This […] The post Fibertek Celebrate…

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 2W


Long March 3
Success
1 day, 5 hours ago
ChinaSat 9C
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Ku- and Ka-band geostationary communication satellite for China Satcom at 92.2° East, replacing ChinaSat 9.


Angara A5/Briz-M
Success
2 days, 14 hours ago
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
35/1 - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Unidentified payload for the Russian military.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-18
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 14 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-9
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week ago
Zhangheng-1-02
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Zhangheng 1-02, also known as CSES-02 (China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite-02), is the follow-on mission to Zhangheng 1/CSES, a Chinese–Italian sp…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 12-26
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 15-6
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
The Mountain God Guards (iQPS Launch 3)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Starlink Group 12-24
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Starlink Group 15-8
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.