Blazing the way for pioneering new climate and weather research, NASA launches its next-generation satellite.<br/> The $1.5 billion National Polar-orbiting Preparatory project, known as NPP, takes off aboard a Delta II rocket from a California air base.<br/> The ground-breaking project will help scientists monitor climate change and providing earlier severe weather warnings.<br/> With the blast-off going to plan, the second stage of the rocket carrying the payload separates from the launch vehicle six minutes into the flight.<br/> The NPP will circle the earth at a distance of 512 miles in a polar orbit.<br/> Sunita Rappai, Reuters.
