DigitalGlobe launched a brand new Earth imaging satellite built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. The launch was executed from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, using a two-stage Delta 2 rocket. In only 73 minutes, the satellite, which was placed in the rocket's nose, was in orbit after a flawless flight. The lift-off happened at about 12:35 p.m. MDT.

The satellite itself, named WorldView-1, is allegedly capable to zoom in on objects as small as 18 inches across. It was put on an orbit some 300 miles above the Earth and can collect up to 290,000 square miles of imagery a day. Another similar satellite, WorldView-2, is to be launched next year. By comparison, DigitalGlobe's current QuickBird satellite, launched in 2001, photographs objects about 2 feet across. The new satellite would begin delivering imagery after a calibration and check-out period, with the first images to be publicly available in about a month.

"We look forward to supplying the growing market with an unprecedented offering of high-resolution geospatial products," said DigitalGlobe's Chief Executive Officer Jill Smith.

The satellite weighs about 5,000 pounds and, despite the somewhat small resolution improvement, it can store much more images due to a vast onboard storage system. It features a WorldView 60 camera/telescope and the new advanced Control Moment Gyroscope made by Ball Aerospace. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is also expected to be a major customer of WorldView-1 imagery. DigitalGlobe currently provides most satellite imaging for Google Earth, among others. The company was founded in 1992 as WorldView.

It was not only a great success for the imaging company, but also for the Delta 2 rocket which is at its 75th consecutive successful ascent, a record for single rocket design. Among others, Delta launched the Global Positioning System satellites and twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. The rocket is made by Boeing and there still are 25 already made for future missions. Delta 2 uses first stage propulsion based on the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine. The second stage, which usually delivers payloads into LEO, uses the Aerojet AJ10-118K second-stage engine. The rocket is also capable of using a third stage usually required for geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) missions, using a Thiokol Star-48B solid rocket motor.

In the rocket's 130 flights since 1989, 128 launches have been successful.

"I love the Delta 2. We've been able to meet schedule, we've been able to put some exciting, exciting payloads out into orbit. I think one of the things that have revolutionized the world is the GPS system. We were the ones that put all of those satellites up into orbit," said Kris Walsh, United Launch Alliance's director of NASA and commercial programs for the Delta II rocket.