[Launch Alert] Launch Schedule

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 21:02:44 -0700

	     ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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

					     2003 April 30 (Wednesday) 20:30 PDT
----------------------------------------------------------------------

			 VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
				 As of 2003 April 9

This schedule is a composite of unclassified information from
government, industry, and other reliable sources. The dates and times
may not agree with those posted on the official Vandenberg AFB launch
schedule (mocc.vandenberg.af.mil/launchsched.asp).

		  Launch
		Time/Window
  Date	 (PST/PDT)		 Vehicle		Pad/Silo
--------	-----------		----------		--------
JUN 1		  ~12:00		Pegasus XL		Offshore
Payload is OrbView 3 commercial reconnaissance satellite. Pegasus will
be air-launched from an L-1011 staged from Vandenberg AFB 

JUN		Unannounced		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 

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

Late JUN	  ~09:00		Titan II		SLC-4W
Payload is a DMSP military weather satellite. The launch window
for this long-delayed launch has not been announced, but
previous launch attempts have been scheduled for 06:00 to 09:00
PDT, depending on the time of year.

AUG		Unannounced		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		Unannounced		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 

SEP 18	   09:44		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe-B scientific satellite 

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------

		   Southern California Astronomical Events
					May 2003

Note the total lunar eclipse on the evening of May 15th.

			   Time
 Date			 (PST/PDT)				  Event
-------		-----------		----------------------------------

MAY 1			   05:15		New Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

MAY 3-4		    ---		Dark Sky Weekend None

MAY 7			   00:00		Mercury Inferior Conjunction
RASC Observer's Handbook 2003, pg. 85

MAY 9			   04:53		First Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

MAY 9			20:54-22:05		Lunar Occultation
The Moon occults the star Eta Leonis. Star disappears at 20:54 and
reappears at 22:05.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze/2003d.zip

MAY 14		21:10-21:20		Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Callisto partially occults Io.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt 

MAY 15		19:03-22:18		Total Lunar Eclipse
Eclipse begins before sunset at 19:03. Totality occurs after sunset at
20:14 and last until 21:07. Eclipse ends at 22:18.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/TLE2003May15.html 

MAY 15		   20:36		Full Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

MAY 19		23:29-23:35		Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Io occults Europa.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt 

MAY 20		   01:30		Lunar Occultation
The Moon occults the star 60 Sagittarii. Star reappears at 01:30. The
disappearance is not visible.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze/2003d.zip 

MAY 22		   17:31		Last Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

MAY 30		   21:20		New Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html 

MAY 31-JUN 1	    ---		Dark Sky Weekend