Thundering Morning Launch

Tracy Young/NASA Launch Commentator: T-10... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one... we have ignition... and liftoff of a Delta II rocket on a Missile Defense Agency mission to demonstrate future space technologies.

Steve Agid/Launch Vehicle Telemetry Manager: ... check chamber pressure levels, good chamber pressure readings on the verniers, and good symmetrical burn on the ground-lit solid motors.

Twenty-two seconds into the flight. Still looking good, altitude now about a half a mile.

Thirty-two seconds. Vehicle now passing Mach 1, vehicle now going transonic. Chamber pressures beginning to decline on the six ground-lit motors, as expected.

Forty-seven seconds in, now passing max Q, maximum dynamic pressure in the vehicle.

Fifty-five seconds in, less than 10 seconds remain on our solid burn. Standing by for solid sep.

And we have separation. Separation on the six solid motors, and we have a good ignition on the three air-lit solids.