Gallery
NASA and NOAA launched the NOAA-N Prime satellite (also known as NOAA-19) on February 6, 2009. The mission is most notable for the fact that the spacecraft was allowed to crash to the floor of the processing facility on September 6, 2003. The satellite was repaired (these repairs cost an estimated $135 million). The mission finally got underway from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 2W (West) at 2:22 a.m. PST (10:22 GMT). Photos courtesy: Carleton Bailie / United Launch Alliance