A Boeing Delta II rocket lit up the night sky. carrying NASA's Aura spacecraft as it
launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base. California.
Liftoff occurred at 3:01 a.m. Pacific Time on July 15. 2004.
Aura is a next generation Earth-observing satellite. designed to supply information about the health of Earth's atmosphere.
Aura's four instruments study the atmosphere's chemistry and dynamics.
Aura's measurements will enable us to investigate questions about ozone trends.
air quality changes and their linkage to climate change.
Aura is part of the Earth Science Projects Division. a program dedicated to monitoring the complex
interactions that affect the globe using NASA satellites and data systems.