[Launch Alert] Launch Schedule

[Brian Webb]

		ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
 				  
					Brian Webb
			   Ventura County, California
			   E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
		 Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp

	   Reaching more than 2,060 e-mail addresses worldwide
 				       
						  2003 July 3 (Thursday) 19:12 PDT
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			 VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
				  As of 2003 July 2

This schedule is a composite of unclassified information approved for
public release public from government, industry, and other sources. It
is essentially accurate at the time of publication, but may disagree
with other launch schedules (including the official Vandenberg AFB
schedule). This listing does not provide sensitive or potentially
sensitive information on military launches.

			Launch
		    Time/Window
  Date	     (PST/PDT)		  Vehicle	     Pad/Silo
--------     -----------------     -------------     --------

JUL-SEP      Unannounced	     EKV Booster	     Unknown
Test launch of Boeing's prototype booster for the EKV (anti-missile
interceptor). Vehicle will fly a ballistic (non-orbital) trajectory.
Launch being conducted for the Missile Defense Agency to develop a
ground-based, midcourse defense system against strategic missiles.
BV-5 

AUG		 Unannounced	     Minuteman III     LF-26
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is at least one unarmed
warhead. Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein the
central Pacific. GT-183GB 

AUG-OCT	 Unannounced	     EKV Booster	     Unknown
Test launch of Orbital Science's prototype booster for the EKV
(anti-missile interceptor). Vehicle will fly a ballistic (non-orbital)
trajectory. Launch being conducted for the Missile Defense Agency to
develop a ground-based, midcourse defense system against strategic
missiles. BV-6 

AUG 2		 21:03:05-22:00:14     Pegasus XL	     Offshore
Payload is the Canadian Space Agency's SciSat 1 ozone monitoring
satellite. Pegasus will be air-launched from an L-1011 staged from
Vandenberg AFB 

SEP		 09:17-09:27	     Titan II	     SLC-4W
Payload is a DMSP military weather satellite  

SEP		 Unannounced	     Minuteman III     LF-10
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is at least one unarmed
warhead. Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. GT-181GM 

OCT 15	 Unannounced	     Atlas II	     SLC-3E
Payload is a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite(s). 

NOV 6		 Mid-morning	     Delta II	     SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe B scientific satellite 

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				 LOW TECH ASTRONOMY

Early July features two planets easily seen with the unaided eye.

Jupiter, the largest of the planets, is low in the west during evening
twilight. It's easy to mistake for a bright, white star. Examination
through decent binoculars or a small telescope reveals a tiny disc
uncharacteristic of a star. You may also see a few of its moons very
close by.

The trick to seeing Jupiter's disc and moons with binoculars is to
focus the optics as sharply as possible and to stabilize them. The
best means of stabilization is a tripod. If that's not an option, hold
the binoculars firmly and lean against the corner of a building for
support.

Mars, the most Earth-like planet in the solar system, is high in the
south a dawn and resembles a bright, rusty orange star. The Earth and
Mars are closing in on one another and will have their closest
encounter in several thousand years late next month.

If possible, try to get a naked eye view of the Red Planet during the
next few days and make it a point to note its color. A localized dust
storm appears to be underway. Should it spread and shroud the planet
in the coming months, try observing Mars with the unaided eye again.
You might see a color change.

Back in mid-2001, the Earth and Mars had a similar close approach.
In a matter of several days, a dust storm appeared and engulfed the
planet. Suprisingly, using only the naked eye, I saw Mars' color
change from rusty orange to beige.

In other words, I was able to detect a change in a planet millions of
miles away using just the unaided eye!

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				   THE UNEXPLAINED

Back on March 5th, reader Connie Corbett of Saint Helena, California
sent me the following message regarding something strange he 
observed that morning:

"...I know that you cover Vandenburg but I'm curious if you are aware
of a launch elsewhere this morning in the west.

At around 9:25 a.m. PST I observed what appeared to be a rocket launch
NNE of me, here in St. Helena, Napa Valley. It is difficult for me to
estimate the distance but I would venture to guess hundreds of miles,
perhaps 300-500...........Nevada or Utah?
 
When I first noticed it, it was at about 30 [degrees] altitude with
a thick exhaust/contrail and appeared to be going straight up.....not
having seen this before, I was asking myself "Is that a plane and is
it coming toward me or moving away?". My first instinct was to drag my
scope outside (as it was moving/rising slowly) and as I looked through
the spotting scope to set up, it accelerated and was moving so fast
(by now, coming toward me, heading SSW) that it was impossible to
track. I got a glimpse, literally for a second, and it was tubular. As
it passed nearly overhead, I ran like hell to retrieve my binoculars,
was back outside in ten seconds, but it was gone........nothing.......
..no trail......not a trace. 
 
Are you aware of any test sites located in northern Nevada or Utah....
...perhaps Idaho?"
 
I made a cursory examination of an aeronautical chart that covers
northern California, but couldn't find any military or special use
airspace anywhere near Connie's location. I have no idea what he saw.

Do any of you know?

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		    SYMBOLS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

NNE	North-northeast
PDT	Pacific Daylight Time
PST	Pacific Standard Time
SSW	South-southwest