[Launch Alert] Minuteman III 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 September 26 (Thursday) 20:36 PDT
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			MINUTEMAN III LAUNCH

As you probably know, an impressive evening twilight missile launch
occurred last Thursday. A Minuteman III was slated to leave its silo
at northwest Vandenberg AFB at 18:01 PDT, well before sunset. However,
an equipment problem delayed the launch until 19:31 PDT during evening
twilight. The timing couldn't have been better.

At Vandenberg, a very low could layer hugged the coastline and
extended inland no more than a mile. At liftoff the Minuteman popped
out of the coulds and climbed steeply towards the west. A minute or so
later the exhaust behind the vehicle turned a deep orange - a sign
that the missile was climbing into the sunlight. The exhaust began to
expand and changed to a milky blue-white color.

The exhaust eventually formed a large disk with a bright point of
light (the missile) in the center. Inside the disk were flower petal-
like structures radiating away from the missile. Suddenly the point of
light went out and the bubble began to dissipate.

Last week's launch was seen for hundreds of miles. I've seen several
launches since 1973 and I would rate this light show as one of the top
three.

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                      VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
			As of 2002 September 26

		Launch
		Time/Window
Date		(PST/PDT)	Vehicle

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

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

DEC 15		06:18		Titan II
Payload is Coriolis military R&D satellite. Morning twilight launch

DEC 19		16:09-17:32	Delta II
Payload is ICESAT environmental and CHIPSAT astronomical satellites

MAR		00:01-06:01	Peacekeeper
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is two unarmed warheads.
Impact area is near Kwajalein in the central Pacific. GT-32PA 

MAR		Unknown		Pegasus XL
Payload is OrbView 3 commercial reconnaissance satellite. Pegasus will
be air-launched from an L-1011 staged from Vandenberg AFB 

MAR 1		Unknown		Pegasus XL
Payload is SciSat 1 ozone monitoring satellite. Pegasus will be air-
launched from an L-1011 staged from Vandenberg AFB