[Launch Alert] Minuteman Launch

[Brian Webb]

	     ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
				  
			 Brian Webb, KD6NRP
		     Ventura County, California
		    E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
	      Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp
				       
				       2002 July 29 (Monday) 20:00 PDT
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		      Minuteman III Launch

A Minuteman III ICBM was successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB on
July 17th. The launch occurred on time at 01:03 PDT, the start of the
6-hour launch window.

Although the event took place in the early morning, some of us were up
and observed the launch. From my location some 105 miles east-
southeast of the silo, the Minuteman was quite bright to the naked
eye. I was able to follow the launch all the way through third stage
burnout with 10x50 binoculars. David Rosenthal in Ridgecrest also saw
the launch.

The morning before the launch, KCLU-FM ran a story about the launch
during the morning local newscast. The story is available on the Web
at

	http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp/library.htm

under the filename "gt-178gm.mp3".

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		  Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
			As of 2002 July 29

		Launch
	      Time/Window
 Date           PST/PDT           Vehicle          Comments 

3rd QTR         Unknown         Minuteman II    Vehicle will send
unarmed warhead and decoys on ballistic (non-orbital) trajectory to
the central Pacific. Objects will be launched to provide objects for
the IFT-9 missile defense Test. An interceptor launched from the
Marshall Islands will attempt to kill the unarmed warhead.

SEP-OCT         13:00?          EKV Booster     EKV booster test
launch (non-orbital). Test of the prototype booster for the missile
defense system Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (interceptor)

SEP             01:01-07:01     Minuteman III   ICBM test launch
(non-orbital). Payload is three unarmed warheads. Impact area is near
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. GT-180-GM 

4th QTR         Unknown         Minuteman II    Vehicle will send
unarmed warhead and decoys on ballistic (non-orbital) trajectory to
the central Pacific. Objects will be launched to provide objects for
the IFT-10 missile defense Test. An interceptor launched from the
Marshall Islands will attempt to kill the unarmed warhead. 

OCT 6           07:00?          Titan II        Payload is a DMSP
military weather satellite. Several attempts were made in early 2001
to launch this spacecraft. Launch was then delayed because of problems
with the payload and the booster 

DEC 19          Unknown         Delta II        Payload is ICESAT and
CHIPSAT scientific satellites 

JAN 19          Unknown         Pegasus XL      Payload is SciSat 1
scientific satellite. Pegasus will be air-launched from an L-1011
staged from Vandenberg AFB. 

Late JAN        Unknown         Titan II        Payload is Coriolis
military scientific satellite.