Posted: Mon, Jan 6, 2003, 1:51 PM ET (1851 GMT)
A US Air Force Titan 2 successfully launched a military research satellite early Monday after five previous launch attempts were scrubbed. The Titan 2 lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California at 9:19 am EST (1419 GMT); its payload, the Coriolis spacecraft, separated from the booster's upper stage 59 minutes later after entering a Sun-synchronous orbit. Coriolis is a military research spacecraft that carries a Navy instrument for measuring ocean surface wind conditions and an Air Force imager that would provide advance notice of geomagnetic storms caused by solar activity. A launch attempt on Sunday was scrubbed because of gusty upper-level winds, while four launch attempts in mid-December were postponed because of inclement weather and technical glitches. The launch is the first orbital launch worldwide in 2003.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now launch status center
•  AP article
•  SPACE.com article