By Parker Leavitt | The Arizona Republic
Orbital Sciences and NASA on Monday announced the successful launch of the Landsat 8 Earth-imaging satellite, which was designed, built and tested in Gilbert.
Now hovering more than 400 miles above the planet’s surface, the satellite will help researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey and other organizations monitor environmental trends such as shrinking glaciers, crop production, water usage and deforestation.
The 20-foot-tall satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, propelled by a booster rocket filled with about 49,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and about 26,000 gallons of a kerosene-type chemical, according to government-contractor United Launch Alliance.
A NASA video of the launch is available at www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?collection_id=14287&media_id=159674761.
A short video of the satellite separating from its booster rocket in space can be seen here: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/8465269711/in/photostream.
