A Delta II 7920H launched NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (originally SIRTF), the last of the agency's four Great Observatories, into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit to study the universe in infrared; it far outlived its 2.5-year design life, operating until 2020.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- Helio-N/A
- Heliocentric orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 922 kg
- Flight
- 1st
- Only Delta II 7920H flight
- Date and time
- 25 August 2003, 05:35 UTC
- Rocket
- Delta II 7920H
- Builder
- ULA
- Launch site
- Space Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
- Payload
- Astrophysics
- International designator
- 2003-038
- Launches in 2003
- 38th of 63
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
View satellites in Space Atlas