United Launch AllianceDelta II 7420-10CSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
ICESat-2
Launched
September 15, 2018
Image: USAF/Joe Davila
Summary
ICESat-2 launched on an United Launch Alliance Delta II 7420-10C from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on September 15, 2018. It was United Launch Alliance's 131st launch, 7th this year and humanity's 5,776th orbital launch attempt. It was the 6th Delta II 7420-10C flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). ICESAT 2, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 463 × 475 km orbit inclined 93.0°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- Liftoff of NASA's ICESat-2NASA's Kennedy Space Center
- Delta II ICESat-2 Launch HighlightsUnited Launch Alliance
- Vehicle
- Delta II 7420-10C · United Launch Alliance
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 6th Delta II 7420-10C flight · 1st this yearUnited Launch Alliance's 131st launch7th this yearhumanity's 5,776th orbital launch attempt70th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
ICESAT 2 · NORAD 43613 · 2018-070 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2018-070A
- Epoch
- 2018-09-15 14:28:35 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.34667927 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0009314
- Inclination
- 93.022°
- Ascending node
- 249.5823°
- Arg. of perigee
- 305.5615°
- Mean anomaly
- 157.2596°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
5 catalogued: 5 payloads; 1 still in orbit
- ICESAT 2 · NORAD 43613 · in orbit
- SurfSat · NORAD 43614 · re-entered January 27, 2023
- CP7 · NORAD 43615 · re-entered February 12, 2023
- ELFIN-STAR · NORAD 43616 · re-entered September 30, 2022
- ELFIN · NORAD 43617 · re-entered September 17, 2022
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
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.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
92nd launch from Space Launch Complex 2W, 1st this year · 681st from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
99 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
301 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did ICESat-2 launch?
ICESat-2 launched on September 15, 2018. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch ICESat-2?
Coverage: Liftoff of NASA's ICESat-2; Delta II ICESat-2 Launch Highlights. Watch the replay
What rocket launched ICESat-2?
Delta II 7420-10C, flown by United Launch Alliance. Delta II 7420-10C spec sheet
Where did ICESat-2 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did ICESat-2 reach?
ICESAT 2, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 463 × 475 km orbit inclined 93.0°.
How many satellites did ICESat-2 launch?
5 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 1 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).