Delta II ICESat-2 Prelaunch Mission Briefing

NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) on Sept. 13, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the news media and social media participants during a prelaunch mission briefing for NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) on Sept. 13, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. ICESat-2 will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II, the rocket’s final mission, from Space Launch Complex 2 at VAFB. Launch is scheduled for 8:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 a.m. PDT). The satellite will measure the height of our changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses per second. ICESat-2 will provide scientists with height measurements that create a global portrait of Earth's third dimension, gathering date that can precisely track changes of terrain, including glaciers, sea ice and forests.

Photographer NASA/Kim Shiflett
Location B836, VAFB
ICESat-2IceCloud and land Elevation Satellite-2NASAGSFCGoddard Space Flight CenterLSPLaunch Services ProgramULAUnited Launch AllianceDelta IISLC-2WVAFBVandenberg Air Force BaseATLASAdvanced Topographic Laser Altimeter SystemFibertek Inc Northrop GrummanLEOStar-3AstrotechAstrotech Space Operations2018 launches