An Industry Workhorse
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
With its inaugural liftoff from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex-17 on February 14, 1989, the Delta II ushered in a new era in space flight.
The Delta II served as the launch vehicle for the Air Force’s first Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, NASA’s Earth-observing , science and interplanetary satellites including Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and vital commercial communication and imaging satellites.
The final Delta II rocket lifted off on September 15, 2018. This mission capped a 29-year history of 155 launches.
Height: 128 feet (39 meters)
Diameter: 8 feet (2.4 meters)
First Stage Propellants: Rocket Propellant (RP-1 – Kerosene) and Liquid Oxygen
Upper Stage Propellants: Hydrazine (Aerozine-50) and Nitrogen Tetroxide
Liftoff Thrust: 1,084,200 lbs (4,822 kN)
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NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit launched on a Delta II on June 10, 2003 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and landed on Mars on Jan. 4, 2004.
NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity launched on a Delta II on July 7, 2003 from Cape Canaveral 
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Erected by Kennedy Visitor Complex and the United Launch Alliance Space Center.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space.
Location. 28° 31.436′ N, 80° 40.999′ W. Marker is on Merritt Island, Florida, in Brevard County. Marker can be reached from Space Commerce Way, 1.2 miles south of NASA Parkway West, on the left when traveling east. Located within the Rocket Garden exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Merritt Island FL 32953, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The End of the Beginning (here, next to this marker); Delta II: By The Numbers (a few steps from this marker); Shaping Things to Come (a few steps from this marker); Working in Space, Two By Two (a few steps from this marker); The Power of Apollo (within shouting distance of this marker); Learning to Phone Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Shooting the Moon, Dreaming of Stars (within shouting distance of this marker); Getting History Off the Ground (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Merritt Island.
Also see . . .
1. Delta II Rocket. (Submitted on July 10, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Submitted on July 10, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 64 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 10, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
