Aqua Launch Sequence

Aqua was launched at 2:55 a.m. PDT on May 4, 2002 on board a Boeing Delta II 7920-10L launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. During launch, Aqua rose to an altitude of 680 kilometers, after which it was boosted to its final orbital altitude of 705 kilometers (438 miles). This animation shows the area surrounding the launch pad, the countdown, the rocket lift-off, and the spacecraft separation from the Delta rocket.