[Launch Alert] Monday Missile 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 May 31 (Friday) 21:55 PDT
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			 MONDAY MISSILE LAUNCH

A Peacekeeker strategic missile is scheduled for launch from
Vandenberg AFB this Monday morning. Launch is set for 01:01 PDT, the
start of a 6-hour launch launch window. Following launch, the vehicle
will climb steeply as it heads west on its way to the central Pacific.

Weather permitting, Monday's launch should be visible for at least 250
miles. One thing to look for is the spent first stage slowly flashing
as it tumbles following stage 1 and 2 separation. This is visible to
the unaided eye up to 100 miles from the base. Beyond 100 miles,
binoculars or a telescope will be needed.

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    The following is an Air Force news release about the launch

			   PEACEKEEPER LAUNCH 

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - An unarmed Peacekeeper
intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to launch Monday
during a six-hour launch window beginning at 1:01 a.m.

This launch is a combined effort by the 30th Space Wing and the 576th
Flight Test Squadron here and the 90th Space Wing, F.E. Warren AFB,
Wyo. A 29-member task force from Wyoming, led by Lt. Col. Kevin
Gamache, has conducted maintenance activities and will perform the
launch. Capt. Jeffrey Braxton, 576th FLTS is the launch director for
this mission. Col. Robert M. Worley II, 30th Space Wing commander is
the spacelift commander for this launch.

The Peacekeeper missile was randomly selected from operational
missiles at F.E. Warren and is part of the Force Development
Evaluation program, which is used routinely to verify the accuracy and
reliability of the ICBM force.

Using pressurized gas, the 70-foot long, 198,000-pound vehicle is
ejected 50 feet out of the launch facility before the first of four
boosters ignite.  The missile will travel approximately 4,800 miles
toward the Kwajalein Missile Range where 9 unarmed re-entry vehicles
will land at a predetermined target.

The Air Force conducted its first successful test flight of the
Peacekeeper missile from Vandenberg June 17, 1983. For more
information about the Peacekeeper missile check out the fact sheet on
line at www.spacecom.af.mil.

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		  Delta II/Aqua Launch Observations

On Saturday, May 4th, at 02:55 PDT, a Delta II missile carrying NASA's
Aqua satellite was launched from Vandenberg AFB. I observed the launch
from a location about 100 miles east-southeast of the launch pad. The
following is my description of the launch.

The evening before the launch I was in my back yard using my 8-inch,
f/8 telescope. Although the weather forecast called for late night and
early morning clouds, I decided to leave my telescope outside and
attempt to use it to view the launch the next morning.

I got up at 02:35, quickly got dressed, and took my 10x70 binoculars
and telescope accessories outside. The sky was clear but it wasn't
that dark due to a very thin layer of high clouds reflecting the light
pollution from Los Angeles.

I began scanning the western horizon and checking my watch. Suddenly,
a very bright orange light appeared from behind some distant trees.
Through the binoculars I could clearly see the long flame from the
strap-on solid rocket motors.

I ran over and aimed my telescope of the Delta. At 65X the vehicle
traversed the field of view in about 3 seconds. I could see the long
flame from the solid rocket motors. The solid motors burned out and
were jettisoned. Through the eyepiece I could see two of them trailing
behind the Delta. They were two red specks that quickly faded.

With the solid rocket motors jettisoned, the Delta II was now being
powered solely by its first stage liquid fuel engine. Through the
telescope, I watched as the first stage exhaust plume gradually
increased in size as the vehicle gained altitude.

At its maximum development, the first stage engine's plume took up
8/10 of the telescope's field of view. I could see an orange speck
(the first stage engine) spraying curved lines - both thick and thin -
of light that formed a hemispheical plume.

Near the engine, the lines were blue-green in color. Further away the
lines were fainter and white in color. What was really interesting was
the motion visible in the plume. Within each line of the plume, there
were numerous areas that were brighter than others. I could see these
bright areas exit the engine and rapidly travel down the lines and
disappear. It was very much like looking at the water droplets
spraying from a sprinkler.

The engine suddenly cut off and the plume disappeared. The orange
speck of the engine grew much dimmer and was followed by a small, dim
haze. This lasted for about five seconds until the orange speck and
the haze completely disappeared.

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		      Vandenberg Launch Net Page
				  
A page describing the Vandenberg Launch Net was recently added to my
web site. The page is located at:

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