Titan IVB liftoff

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- A U.S. Air Force Titan IVB space launch vehicle thundered into the Florida sky May 8, 2000, carrying a Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite that will add to a constellation of similar satellites the Air Force uses to provide early warning of missile launches worldwide. An inertial upper stage transferred the satellite to its final orbit. The Titan IVB is the nation's largest, most powerful expendable launch vehicle and is built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company-Astronautics Operations near Denver, Colo. The Titan IVB is capable of boosting up to 47,800 pounds into low-Earth orbit or more than 12,700 pounds into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above Earth. (Courtesy photo)

Atlas II

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- An Atlas II/Centaur rocket carrying the NASA/NOAA weather satellite GOES-L lifts off. The primary objective of the GOES-L is to provide a full capability satellite in an on-orbit storage condition, in order to assure NOAA continuity in services from a two-satellite constellation. Launch services are being provided by the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Atlas II is a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles which evolved from the successful Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program. It is designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. (Courtesy photo)

Titan rocket

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A Lockheed Martin-built Titan IV B rocket successfully launched a classified payload for the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office August 17, 2000. The NRO is the U.S. government agency responsible for reconnaissance satellites. The launch was from Space Launch Complex Four East here. This was the second Titan IV launched successfully this year and the 30th Titan IV launch overall. The Titan IV-B is capable of boosting payloads weighing 38,800 pounds into low-Earth polar orbit, 47,800 pounds into low-Earth equatorial orbit, or more than 12,700 pounds into geosynchronous orbit. (Courtesy photo)

Delta II rocket

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Air Force successfully launched a Boeing Delta II rocket carrying the Jason 1 and Timed satellites from Space Launch Complex-2 on Dec. 7. This was the second Delta II launched from Vandenberg this year. Jason 1 is a joint U.S./French oceanography mission. Jason 1 will monitor world ocean circulation, study interactions of the oceans and atmosphere, improve climate predictions and observe events such as El Nino. The NASA timed spacecraft will conduct the first global study of the Earth's mesosphere, lower thermosphere and ionosphere. The project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., for NASA and the French space agency. (U.S. Air Force photo)