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Liquid oxygen loading is in progress.

The next major countdown milestone is the loading of liquid oxygen, or LOX, into the rocket’s first stage. LOX is chilled to a very cold minus-297 degrees, making it a cryogenic propellant. NASA Launch Manager Tim Dunn polled his team and received the “go” to start this process a few minutes from now. ULA Launch Conductor …

Weather and wind conditions at Vandenberg will not pose a problem for the launch team this morning. The marine layer that brings fog to the coast is creeping into the area, but skies are clear above. Visibility at launch time is predicted to be 1 to 2 statute miles and winds will be light at …

If you’re in the area near the launch site, try this page for launch viewing suggestions.

Good morning, and thanks for joining us for the countdown today. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 is sealed at the top of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base, aiming for liftoff from Space Launch Complex 2 at 2:56 a.m. PDT, 5:56 a.m. EDT. Today’s launch window extends for 30 seconds. …

Liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with NASA’s OCO-2 spacecraft is set for 2:56 a.m. PDT/5:56 a.m. EDT this morning from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Join us right here at 12:45 a.m. PDT/3:45 a.m. EDT for the latest from the countdown!

The launch of NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2 at 5:56 a.m. EDT (2:56 a.m. PDT) from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch team has completed troubleshooting of the launch pad water suppression system that …

Circadian Rhythms: FE-6 Gerst donned the Circadian Rhythms hardware to start a 36 hour data take. The main objective of the experiment is to get a better basic understanding of any alterations in circadian rhythms in humans during long-term space flights. This data will provide important insights into the adaptations of the human autonomic nervous …

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta II carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite was scrubbed today due to an issue with the water suppression system that is used to flow water on the launch pad to dampen the acoustic energy during launch. Pending the outcome of troubleshooting, the launch is rescheduled for …

Today’s launch attempt was scrubbed because of a failure in a Vandenberg Air Force Base Space Launch Complex 2 pad water system. The system provides sound suppression to dampen acoustic waves at liftoff and protects a launch pad flame duct. The countdown was halted at T-46 seconds. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) spacecraft is on …