[Launch Alert] Peacekeeper 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
 				       
					     2003 March 19 (Wednesday) 20:00 PST
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		  Peacekeeper (GT-32PA) Launch Observations
				    2003 March 12
					Brian Webb

Two friends and I met in the mountains north of Santa Barbara to view
and photograph the GT-32PA Peacekeeper launch. Our location was at an
altitude of more than 3,000 feet and offered a virtually unobstructed
view of the missile silo 51 statute miles (82 km) to the
west-northwest.

The sky was clear with some high altitude clouds that covered no more
than 25% of the sky. There also appeared to be a very thin layer of
high clouds covering the entire sky. Off in the distance I could see
that the launch site was under a layer of low clouds or thick haze.

The launch was scheduled for 00:01:00 PST (one minute past midnight).
However, a few minutes before launch the countdown was placed into an
unplanned hold because a ship was heading toward a restricted ocean
area adjacent to Vandenberg.

After more than one hour, the range safety problem was resolved and
the count resumed with a new launch time of 01:29:00 PST. The final
moments went by quickly. I opened the shutters on my cameras and we
all watched the west-northwest horizon. At T-0 we didn't see anything.
A second later, the sky suddenly lit up with a bright yellow light.

After a few seconds, the Peacekeeper emerged from the haze. It looked
like a bright yellow spot of light. It was much brighter than Venus,
perhaps magnitude -8 or more.

The missile climbed fairly quickly and headed west. Stage 1/2
separation occurred on-time at T+ 1m 00s. We could see the faint
flashing from the spent first stage as it tumbled end over end.

At the start of the second stage burn, the Peacekeeper still looked
like a yellow spot of light, but it began to develop a tail. This
thin, faint flame was similar in appearance to that of a propane
torch.

At about T+ 2m 00s, we saw a puff of smoke that signaled stage 2/3
separation. The vehicle was much fainter during the third stage burn.
It was also motionless, probably due to the fact it was so far away by
this time. It resembled a faint orange star.

Less than a minute after it ignited, the third stage shut down.
However, it was hard to tell exactly this happened because the light
from the third stage gradually faded instead of disappearing abruptly.
At T+ 3m 20s it appeared to be gone.

At T+ 4m 04s the rumble from the launch reached us. It was suprisingly
loud. We listened to the distant rumble and enjoyed the sound. After
about 15 seconds it was inaudible.

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			 VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
				As of 2003 March 19

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

APR 30	  Unknown		Pegasus XL		Offshore
Payload is OrbView 3 commercial reconnaissance satellite. Pegasus will
be air-launched from an L-1011 staged from Vandenberg AFB 

MAY 20	  Unknown		Pegasus XL		Offshore
Payload is SciSat 1 ozone monitoring satellite. Pegasus will be
air-launched from an L-1011 staged from Vandenberg AFB

JUN		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-04
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is at least one unarmed
warhead. Impact area is near Kwajalein in the central Pacific. GT-182GM 

JUN 16	  Unknown		Atlas IIas		SLC-3E
Payload is a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite(s). 

Late JUN	  ~08:00		Titan II		SLC-4W
Payload is a DMSP military weather satellite. 

JUL 20	  Unknown		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe-B scientific satellite 

AUG		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-26
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is at least one unarmed
warhead. Impact area is near Kwajalein in the central Pacific. GT-183GB 

SEP		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-10
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is at least one unarmed
warhead. Impact area is near Kwajalein in the central Pacific. GT-181GM 

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