[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 1,980 e-mail addresses worldwide
 				       
						    2003 June 1 (Sunday) 08:36 PDT
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				     CORRECTIONS

The previous edition of this newsletter gave links to several new
images on my web site. One of the links was inoperative because it
gave the wrong location. The correct address is:

	http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp/osptlv-ift-7-2.htm

Several months ago I published a compilation of eye witness accounts
of the ill-fated Columbia reentry. I incorrectly identified one of the
observers as "Aldo Spandoni". His correct name is "Aldo Spadoni".

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			  Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
				   As of 2003 May 31

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
launch schedule). This schedule does not provide sensitive or
potentially sensitive information on military launches.

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

JUN		Unannounced			Minuteman III	LF-04
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-182GM 

Mid-JUN	  ~11:54			Pegasus XL		Offshore
Payload is Orbimage's OrbView 3 commercial reconnaissance satellite.
Pegasus will be air-launched from an L-1011 staged from Vandenberg
AFB. The start time of the 13-minute launch window is not clear.
Launch will probably occur at about 11:54 +/- 10 minutes. 

JUL-SEP	Unannounced			EKV Booster		Unknown
Test launch of a 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. 

JUL 19	09:17-09:27			Titan II		SLC-4W
Payload is a DMSP military weather satellite  

JUL 25	 22:36:55-			Pegasus XL		Offshore
		 23:34:04
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 

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 in the
central Pacific. GT-183GB 

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-DEC	Unannounced			EKV Booster		Unknown
Test launch of a 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. 

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

NOV 6		   08:44			Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe B scientific satellite

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	         Southern California Astronomical Events
				    for 2003 June

			  Time
  Date		(PST/PDT)		       Event

JUN 2			  23:00	Mercury Greatest Western Elongation
Elusive Mercury attains its maximum angular separation from the Sun.
It is visible very low in the east at dawn in the southern
hemisphere.
RASC Observer's Handbook 2003, pg. 87 

JUN 7			  13:28	First Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

JUN 14		  04:16	Full Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

JUN 14		  21:35*	Lunar Occultation
The Moon occults (passes in front of) the star ZC2650. The star
reappears at 21:35*. The disappearance is not visible.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze/2003d.zip 

JUN 21		  07:45	Last Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

JUN 24		  07:00	Saturn Conjunction
Saturn is on the far side of the Sun relative to Earth and is lost in
the Sun's glare. Conjunction marks the ringed planet's move from the
evening to morning sky.
RASC Observer's Handbook 2003, pg. 87

JUN 28-29		   ---	Dark Sky Weekend
Optimum time this month for observing faint objects. Amateur
astronomers will congregate at dark observing sites.

JUN 29		  11:39	New Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

*Time computed for downtown Los Angeles. The time may vary by several
minutes depending on your location.