The launch of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer

The RXTE spacecraft was launched into a 580 km orbit by a Delta II expendable launch vehicle on 1995 December 30 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This was the 7th attempt to get the RXTE into orbit - previous countdowns were halted due to high winds at the Cape and (on one occasion) a main engine start failure.

RXTE launch images (JPEG format):

Sounds and movies: Delta II information resources:
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