Success
DMSP F-17
Earth Science
United States Air Force(USAF)Government
Delta IV M
SSOorbit
11th gen military meteorological satellite
Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 1:53 PM
Mission details
Orbital Attempt
#4,804
USAF Mission
#1,077
Pad Launch
#6
Location Launch
#627
Designator
2006-050
Launch Window
NET
Nov 4, 2006, 1:53 PM
Schedule Changes
1 update
Space Launch Complex 6
Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. The site was originally developed starting in 1966, but no launches occurred until 1995, as it was repurposed sequentially for three programs that were subsequently cancelled. Initially to be used for Titan IIIM rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, these were cancelled before construction of SLC-6 was complete. The complex was later rebuilt to serve as the west coast launch site for the Space Shuttle, but went unused due to budget, safety and political considerations. The pad was subsequently used for four Athena rocket launches before being modified to support the Delta IV launch vehicle family, which used the pad for ten launches from 2006 until 2022. The last Delta IV launched in September 2022, and SpaceX leased SLC-6 in 2023 to convert it to launch Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy starting in 2025.
Total Launches
14
Orbital Attempts
14
Fastest Turnaround
4mo 9d
Delta IV M Specs
Delta IV is a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family introduced in the early 2000s. Originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space & Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, the Delta IV became a United Launch Alliance (ULA) product in 2006. The Delta IV was and is primarily a launch vehicle for United States Air Force military payloads, but has also been used to launch a number of U.S. government non-military payloads and a single commercial satellite.
Length
63 m
Diameter
5 m
Launch Mass
250 t
Thrust
2,890 kN
LEO Capacity
8,600 kg
GTO Capacity
3,900 kg
Launch Cost
$164M
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
2003
Fastest Turnaround
5mo 21d
Total Launches
3
Successful
3
Failed
0
Consecutive Success
3
Maiden flight: Mar 11, 2003
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Founded
1947
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
Total Launches
1,078
Successful
972
Failed
106
Pending
0
Consecutive Success
68
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Timezone
America/Los_Angeles
Local Launch Time
Nov 4, 2006, 5:53 AM
Total Launches
885
Total Landings
34
Coordinates
34.7513, -120.5202