Boeing has successfully launched the last in a series of four SkyMed spacecraft for the Italian Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO).

Boeing launched the satellite atop a Delta II rocket procured from United Launch Alliance.

The COSMO SkyMed-4 spacecraft was placed into low-Earth orbit about 58 minutes after lift-off.

Thales Alenia Space developed the COSMO-SkyMed programme for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence.

The programme is an end-to-end Earth-observation, civil and military system comprised of four medium-sized satellites and supporting ground stations, which provide orbit control systems, data reception and processing.

The system will take images of the Earth using an X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument capable of operating in all visibility conditions.