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Boeing Delta II Lifts NASA's IMAGE Observatory into Orbit

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., March 25, 2000 -- Boeing Delta II Lifts NASA's IMAGE Observatory into Orbit -- A NASA spacecraft that will gather images of the magnetic field around the Earth was launched today aboard a Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta II rocket.

The Delta II lifted off the launch pad at 12:34 p.m. PST, carrying the Imager Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft. Almost 56 minutes after liftoff, IMAGE separated from the upper stage of the Delta II to insert itself into an orbit 621 by 28,503 miles (1,000 by 45.871 kilometers) above the Earth.

"Boeing is continuing as a partner with NASA in expanding mankind's knowledge of the Earth, our solar system and the surrounding universe," said Darryl Van Dorn, Boeing director of commercial and NASA Delta programs. "Delta expendable launch vehicles have launched Mars probes for NASA, astronomical observatories, space physics satellites and planetary spacecraft."

The NASA-led IMAGE mission will provide global images of plasmas in the Earth's magnetosphere, showing how they are affected by the intense fluctuating streams of charged particles from the sun, called the solar wind. Resulting space storms disturb the plant's magnetic field and can damage spacecraft, disrupt communication satellites and cause electrical power blackouts.

The principal investigator institution for the IMAGE mission, Southwest Research Institute, contracted Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space to build the spacecraft.

Delta II is a medium capacity expendable launch vehicle derived from the Delta family of rockets built and launched since 1960. The Delta II rocket is manufactured in Huntington Beach, Calif., with final assembly in Pueblo, Colo., and is powered by the RS-27A engine built by Boeing in Canoga Park, Calif. Launch coordination and operations for the NASA mission was provided by the Delta launch team at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Alliant Techsystems, Magna, Utah, builds the graphite epoxy motors for boost assist. Aerojet, Sacramento, Calif., manufactures the second-stage engine; Cordant Technologies, Elkton, Md., supplies the upper stage engine, and L3 Communications Space & Navigation, Teterboro, N.J., builds the guidance and flight control system.

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Boeing Delta Web Site: www.boeing.com/delta/

Contact Info:
Keith Takahashi
Boeing
(800) 946-4646 pin 149-4784 (pager)

Boeing Communications
(714) 896-1301

Boeing Launch Hotline
(714) 896-4770