[Launch Alert] Wednesday Launch

Tue, 11 Mar 2003 05:54:38 -0800

	     ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

				  Brian Webb, KD6NRP
			    Ventura County, California
			   E-mail: [email protected]
		Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp

						 2003 March 11 (Tuesday) 05:50 PST
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			  PEACEKEEPER LAUNCH WEDNESDAY

A Peacekeeper strategic missile is scheduled for launch from
Vandenberg AFB early tomorrow morning. The routine test launch will
send eight unarmed reentry vehicles (warheads) on a ballistic
(non-orbital) trajectory to the central Pacific.

The vehicle is slated to leave its silo at northwest Vandenberg at one
minute past midnight or sometime shortly afterward. The launch window
extends from 00:01 to 06:01 PST.

The Peacekeeper launch sequence uses the "Cold Launch" technique. A
55-gallon drum of water in the silo is superheated and converted to
steam. A blast of steam ejects the 195,000 pound vehicle from the
silo, sending it several feet above ground level.

The first stage will ignite just before the missile begins to fall
back to Earth. The vehicle will quickly climb into the night sky and
send its eight warheads on a 30-minute trip to the Reagan Test
Site at Kwajalein atoll, some 4,200 nautical miles downrange.

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			     PEACEKEEPER FLIGHT EVENTS

The following table is a generic listing of flight events for
Peacekeeper launches from Vandenberg AFB. The times and altitudes
may vary slightly for each launch.

									   Downrange
Time									   Distance
mm:ss			   Event			Altitude	     (NM)
-----		-----------------------		--------	   ---------
00:00		Eject missile from silo		   0 ft		   0
00:02		Stage 1 ignition			 190 ft		   0
01:00		Stage 2 ignition			  15 NM		  12
02:00		Stage 3 ignition			  62 NM		  75
02:05		Shroud ejection			  70 NM		  85
03:28		Stage 4 separation		 185 NM		 280
05:23		Begin RV deployment		 337 NM		 605
15:08		Apogee (maximum			 673 NM	     2,040
		altitude)
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				   OBSERVING TIPS

The Peacekeeper is very bright during its boost (launch) phase.
Weather permitting Wednesday's launch should be visible to the
unaided eye for hundreds of miles.

Although the naked eye is a good instrument for viewing the launch,
you will see much more if you use optical assistance. Binocular are
good, but tripod-mounted binoculars are even better. The best view
will be had through an astronomical telescope.

One of the more interesting aspects of the launch occurs following
stage 1 - stage 2 separation at T+ 01:00. At that time, the spent
first stage will still be burning as it tumbles, creating a flashing
point of light.

If you see the launch, be sure to send me a detailed report.

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				VANDENBERG LAUNCH NET

Amateur radio operators interested in discussing the launch are
invited to participate in one of the Vandenberg Launch Nets beginning
at 23:30 PST tonight.

The primary Vandenberg Launch Net will be held on the the WB6OBB
repeater in Santa Barbara. This repeater has very wide coverage and
simulcasts on 147.000, 224.900, and 449.300 MHz.

Since tomorrow morning's launch may be visible over a wide area, a
secondary launch net will be held on the 147.090 MHz Catalina Island
repeater. The Catalina repeater covers areas to the south that the
Santa Barbara repeater cannot.

There may also be some launch-related discussions on the Condor linked
repeater system, but these are not officially part of the launch nets
described above. The Condor system covers much of California and
currently consists of the following repeaters:

	 Freq.
	 (MHz)			Location
	-------	--------------------------------
	223.840	Mount Vaca (Vacaville)
	224.600	Mount Hamilton (San Jose)
	224.900	Goat Mountain (Fresno)
	224.920	Tassajara Peak (San Luis Obispo)
	224.640	Shirley Peak (Lake Isabella)
	224.820	Tranquillon Peak (Lompoc)
	224.720	Frazier Mountain (Gorman)
	223.840	Quartzite Mountain (Victorville)
	224.000	Brush Peak (Santa Barbara)
	223.940	Raznow Peak (Thousand Oaks)
	224.820	Santiago Peak (Orange County)
	224.180	Toro Peak (Palm Springs)
	223.940	Lyons Peak (San Diego)
	224.880	Hayden Peak (Kingman)
	224.900	Mount Potosi (Las Vegas)

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			   ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ft		Feet
MHz		Megahertz
mm:ss		Minutes and seconds
NM		Nautical miles. A nautical mile is 6,076.115 feet in
		length. The statute mile used in everday life is 5,280 feet
		long.
PST		Pacific Standard Time