After a series of weather and equipment problems, Boeing successfully launched the NOAA-N satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 20.

A Boeing Delta 2 rocket carried the satellite into orbit at 6:22 a.m. EDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Following a 65-minute flight, the rocket deployed the spacecraft to a circular orbit with a Sun-synchronous inclination.

The NOAA-N satellite will provide data to help improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events worldwide. It is the forth in a series of five polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding capabilities.