Delta 4 rocket launches spy satellite Classified mission marks new chapter in military boosters
The Associated Press Updated: 4:26 a.m. CT June 28, 2006 URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13587685/ VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - A classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office was launched into space Tuesday night aboard a Boeing Delta 4 rocket. The rocket blasted off at 8:33 p.m. PT (11:33 p.m. ET) from this Air Force base on the central California coast, leaving a thin trail in the twilight sky. The purpose of the mission was not revealed. The National Reconnaissance Office builds and manages the nation's spy satellites. It was the first West Coast launch for the Delta 4 rocket, which has been launched five times from Cape Canaveral, Fla. At 20 stories high, it was the tallest rocket launched from Vandenberg. The Delta 4 launch signals a military shift to cheaper space boosters. Last year, Vandenberg launched its final Titan rocket, marking the end of an era for the workhorse rockets in favor of a new generation of rockets such as the Delta 4 and Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5. URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13587685/ ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 antunes at uh dot edu Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
