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The rocket’s second stage engine shut down as scheduled nearly 11 minutes, marking the beginning of a 40-minute coast phase. That engine will reignite at 10:13:38 a.m. EST for a 12-second burn to place SMAP in its proper orbit.

Now more than five minutes into flight, the protective payload fairing enclosing the SMAP spacecraft has separated and fallen away.

Main engine cutoff and separation. Second-stage burn in progress, will last a little more than six minutes.

The rocket’s three spent solid rocket motors have been released. The first-stage burn continues until main engine cutoff, or MECO, nearly four and a half minutes into the flight. Telemetry Officer Steve Agid of United Launch Alliance is reporting a good performance from the Delta II as it continues to accelerate.

Liftoff of the Delta II rocket carrying NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive spacecraft, beginning a three-year mission to measure and map the water locked in Earth’s soil in greater detail than ever before. The rocket is climbing up and away from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Range and weather are “go.”

The final minutes of the countdown are ticking away. Launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive observatory is targeted for 9:22 a.m. EST.

Four minutes until launch of the Delta II rocket carrying NASA’s SMAP spacecraft.

Final polling is complete and SMAP is configured for launch at 9:22 a.m. EST. The Delta II rocket will depart the launch pad heading south at an azimuth of 196 degrees. The three ATK solid rocket motors will burn for 65 seconds and be jettisoned 99 seconds into flight. Delta II main engine cutoff will …

Upper level winds are now “green” and the final poll is coming up prior to release of the T-4 minute hold.