West Coast rocket soars into space (Climate Satellite)

OC Register ^ | June 10th, 2011, 6:25 am · | Pat Brennan, science, environment editor

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Delta II rocket carrying climate satellite blasts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base early Friday. Photo from NASA via AP.

A Delta II rocket carried a climate satellite into orbit early Friday after launching from Vandenberg Air Force base.

The satellite includes Aquarius, a large, disk-shaped instrument that will measure the salt content of the ocean surface by sensing the microwaves it emits.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Not sure who is involved with this one,

[okie01]

Not sure who is involved with this one,

The article identifies the satellite as Argentinian-built.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Answer :

Aquarius

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Aquarius - SAC-D Artist's Concept

Artist's concept of the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency, with participation from Brazil, Canada, France and Italy. Aquarius, the NASA-built primary instrument on the spacecraft, will take NASA's first space-based measurements of ocean surface salinity, a key missing variable in satellite observations of Earth that links ocean circulation, the global balance of freshwater and climate. The mission is scheduled to launch in June.

Image credit: NASA

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

MORE:

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Aerojet's Engine Powers Delta II Second Stage for Aquarius Mission

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Press Release Source: Aerojet On Friday June 10, 2011, 12:27 pm EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE:GY - News) company, announced that its engine helped propel today's launch of the Delta II launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. This 149th launch of the Delta II engine carries NASA's Aquarius research satellite to orbit.

Aquarius is a focused effort to measure the sea surface salinity of the world's oceans. The satellite will provide the global view of salinity variability needed for climate studies. The mission is being developed by NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales) in order to evaluate changes in the water cycle and ocean circulation and their influence on present and future climates.

Under contract to United Launch Alliance, Aerojet provides the Delta II rocket's liquid second stage engine (AJ10). This same engine has supported numerous launches of critical NASA and other government agency missions. Aerojet's second stage engine has delivered payloads for NASA's space exploration such as MESSENGER, Phoenix Mars Lander, GLAST, THEMIS, STEREO, Deep Impact and the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, as well as the USAF Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR fleet.

"The AJ10 engine has been a shining example of Aerojet's commitment to 100 percent mission success for the Delta II rocket since its first launch in 1989," said Executive Director of Space and Launch Vehicle Motors and Liquid Propulsion Products, Pete Cova. "We are proud of its strong heritage and critical mission support that it has provided through the years."

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company's excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' websites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just dropping this link here from Watts Up With That?:

Climate and Energy News Roundup Posted on June 12, 2011 by Anthony Watts

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I meant which piece of NASA,

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

MORE:

http://www.aquarius.nasa.gov/

[tubebender]

Headed toward a east coast “retreat”? I read that the Air Force was going to shoot down a Piper Cub for violating the airspace of the vacationing Pez aka Bobble Head...

[BigBobber]

I thought this was settled science. Why do they still have to do research?

[beethovenfan]

Beep...beep.....beeep...I’m getting hot..... beep....

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks. I was aware of the pending launch from watching the NASA channel a few weeks back.

[Marine_Uncle]

"I meant which piece of NASA,:
Perhaps Here.

[okie01]

I meant which piece of NASA,

Does NASA have any role in space anymore?

I thought they were focussed on Islam's self-esteem and global warming...

[jonrick46]

I can just imagine the conversation: “Down load that data from Aquarius into the computer and use that code I gave you to make it look like global warming! We don’t want any more excuses from them to drive those damn cars!”

[GAB-1955]

They still do research because you can always find something new in the data.

[concentric circles]

The reknowned F-1 engine that took men to the moon when Americans dared to dream.

The RS-27A engine that powers the Delta II

Getting the Delta II off the ground with it's international payload was a rocket engine developed by Rocketdyne, headquartered, as pictured above, in Canoga Park, CA.

Rocketdyne's first mission, under parent North American Aviation, was to develop an engine based on the German V-2 rocket engines which fell into American hands at the end of World War II.

Today, Rocketdyne is a division of United Technology's Pratt and Whitney after passing through the hands of both Rockwell and Boeing.

[GingisK]

...climate satellite...

Has it been properly pre-programmed with fake data that indicates global warming is man made?

[11Bush]

Are you kidding? The payload could be an espresso machine and the dweebs at NASA would scream Globull Warming.

[blueunicorn6]

A satellite to measure the salt content of the ocean’s surface..................two guys in a boat with a cup...saved $4 billion dollars. You could probably get grad students to do it for just class credit. Maybe we could take people’s temperatures from space with a satellite! It’s just money. We could track cats with a satellite. How far do they go? Probably need six or seven satellites for that.