GEORGE DILLER: This is Delta Launch Control, now one hour, 24 minutes into the mission of NOAA-N.
Joining us here at the console at the Mission Director Center is NASA launch director Omar Baez.
And, Omar, as far as the flight that we saw of the Delta, how did the Delta perform?
MR. BAEZ: The Delta performed nominally. Just the perfect flight today and spacecraft's in the
correct orbit within a tenth of a nautical mile of what was expected, both in apogee and perigee. And so we're right on
MR. DILLER: How did the countdown go? MR. BAEZ: Countdown went pretty smoothly.
We worked a couple issues before we even got on station here today, and that was good. It got the team thinking early on.
We got on console and we barely worked any issues throughout the -- throughout the four hours.
The only thing we were kind of worried about towards the end was some slight wind gusts
that were playing havoc with our guidance system.
But, luckily, the winds calmed down for us and we were able to get a shot off on the first second of the ten minute window.
MR. DILLER: What's the next Delta II launch for NASA at this point?
MR. BAEZ: The next Delta II launch for NASA will be the CALIPSO CloudSat Mission.
We expect the CALIPSO spacecraft to arrive here at Vandenberg this afternoon, in fact. It's flying over from Europe as we speak.
MR. DILLER: And CloudSat's already here and undergoing check out. MR. BAEZ: Yes.
MR. DILLER: About when would the vehicle be able to start going up on stand.
MR. BAEZ: It takes us about a week or two to do the pad turn around and get everything blasted off and repainted.
And we'll be ready to put the vehicle up just as soon as that's completed.
MR. DILLER: Thank you, Omar. Congratulations on a successful launch and another good countdown
and we'll talk to you back at the Cape.
MR. BAEZ: Thank you. MR. DILLER: Thanks very much. MR. BAEZ: Appreciate it.
That will conclude our launch coverage of the NOAA-N launch aboard the Delta II
at one hour, 26 minutes, 15 seconds into the mission. This is Delta Launch Control.