Delta II COSMO - SkyMed 4

(Photo by Joe Davila)

Vandenberg at a glance Oct. 30

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.-- The Vandenberg Honor Guard posts the colors during the Italian Cosmo-SkyMed post-launch reception at Pacific Coast Club Oct. 24.(U.S. Air Force Photo/ Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee)

Tower Roll Back

The tower rolls back exposing a Delta II rocket hours before launch Oct. 24. Vandenberg successfully launched the Delta II rocket at 7:28 p.m. The rocket took off from Space Launch Complex-2 carrying the Thales Alenia-Space COSMO-SkyMed 3 Satellite. (U.S. Air Force photo / Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

Vandenberg launches Delta II, Italian weather satellite

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A Delta II rocket carrying the Thales Alenia-Space COSMO-SkyMed Satellite launched from Vandenberg on Dec. 8 at 6:31 p.m. The rocket, second of two COSMO-SkyMed launches scheduled from Vandenberg, took off from Space Launch Complex-2. The Delta II is an expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle. It carries civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geosynchronous transfer and stationary orbits. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Moran)

Vandenberg launches Delta II carrying Italian weather sattelite

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A Delta II rocket carrying the Thales Alenia-Space COSMO-SkyMed Satellite launched from Vandenberg on Dec. 8 at 6:31 p.m. The rocket, second of two COSMO-SkyMed launches scheduled from Vandenberg, took off from Space Launch Complex-2. The Delta II is an expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle. It carries civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geosynchronous transfer and stationary orbits. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Joe Davila

One goes up, one comes down

A Delta II rises above the clouds as Staff Sgt. Eric Thompson freefalls over Lompoc June 7. The instructor with the 532nd Training Squadron planned his skydive to coincide with the launch carrying the Italian Thales Alenia-Space COSMO-SkyMed Satellite. (Courtesy photo)