Rocket launches from Vandenberg

  • Published
The Air Force launched a Boeing Delta II Rocket from here Jan. 12. The rocket carried an Ice Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite, and a Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer.

The ICESat will help scientists determine if the global sea level is rising or falling. It will observe the ice sheets that blanket the Earth's poles to determine if they are growing or shrinking. It will also assist in developing an understanding of how changes in the Earth's atmosphere and climate affect polar ice masses and global sea level. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System is the sole instrument on the satellite.

The CHIPSat will provide information about the origin, physical processes and properties of the hot gas contained in the interstellar medium.