KSC-05pd-0686

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - The second stage of the Boeing Delta II rocket, in the background, arrives at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. It will be mated with the first stage. The Delta II is the launch vehicle for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA-N) spacecraft. After launch, NOAA-N will be renamed NOAA-18 and will provide measurements of the Earth's surface and atmosphere that will be entered into NOAA’s weather forecasting models and used for other environmental studies. Each day, the satellite will send data to NOAA’s Command and Data Acquisition station computers, adding vital information to forecasting models, especially over the oceans, where conventional data is lacking. Launch of NOAA-N is scheduled for May 11, 2005.