Boeing

After a preliminary review of the data, the Boeing team confirmed the success of yesterday's Delta III launch.

Based upon the evaluation of flight data, the orbit of the simulated payload is within the expected range as corrected for vehicle drag and atmospheric conditions on the day of launch. The adjusted nominal is 12,637 nmi with a low of 10,825 nmi at apogee and 98.1 nmi to 96.5 nmi for perigee. The satellite was separated into an orbit of 11,174 nmi x 96.9 nmi with an inclination of 27.62 degrees.

"This mission was flown to a planned propellant depletion on the second stage, as opposed to a typical Delta II mission, which is flown to a commanded shutdown of the second stage based upon a specified orbit", said Jay Witzling, vice president, Delta II and III programs. "Depletion missions normally have a greater expected orbital range than those with commanded shutdowns." The launch team is continuing its detailed evaluation and analysis of the flight data.

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Boeing Delta Web Site