National Aeronautics and Space Administration
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
FOR RELEASE: 10/28/2011
PHOTO NO: KSC-2011-7587
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At Space Launch Complex-2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, an exhaust cloud builds around the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying NASA's National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) into space. Liftoff was at 2:48 a.m. PDT. NPP represents a critical first step in building the next-generation of Earth-observing satellites. NPP will carry the first of the new sensors developed for this satellite fleet, now known as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) to be launched in 2016. NPP is the bridge between NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites and the forthcoming series of JPSS satellites. The mission will test key technologies and instruments for the JPSS missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/NPP. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett