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 Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, C...

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: 169 Failures: 0 Pending: 42

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


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 17 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-85
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 21 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-89
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Atlas V 551
Success
2 days, 21 hours ago
ViaSat-3 F2 (ViaSat-3 EMEA)
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites is expected to provide vastly superior capabilities in terms of service speed and flexibility fo…


New Glenn
Success
3 days, 3 hours ago
EscaPADE
Launch Complex 36A - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Second flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle carrying the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE), a dual-spacecr…


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 21 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-87
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Ceres-1
Failure
6 days, 20 hours ago
Jilin-1 High Resolution-04C and others
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Earth Observation satellite for the Jilin-1 commercial constellation. Other payloads: * Jilin-1 Platform-02A-04 * Zhongbei University-1


Long March 12
Success
6 days, 21 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 13
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 10-51
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Kinetica 1
Success
1 week ago
Chutian-2 01 & 02
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2 satellites built by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) for testing operations of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites f…


Long March 11
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Shiyan 32 01-03
Oriental Spaceport mobile launch ship - Sea Launch

3 Chinese satellites reported to be for "orbital technological testing" purposes. Actual usage not known.