[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

Fri, 2 Apr 2004 20:48:43 -0800

			           Brian Webb
		          Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: [email protected]
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				               2004 April 2 (Friday) 20:40 PST
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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
			      As of 2004 March 31

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

APR 17		10:09:12		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe B satellite. In the event of a
postponement, launch time occurs 4 minutes earlier each day

Late APR?		Late morning	Taurus		SLC-576E
Payload is Taiwan's ROCSAT-2 satellite. The launch window is
approximate

Late APR?		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-09
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one warhead (probably a
Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. Postponed following two unsuccessful launch attempts
on March 24th. Glory Trip 184GM

JUN			Unannounced		Minuteman III	LF-10
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads (probably Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. Glory Trip 185GM

JUN 17		03:01:48		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's AURA scientific satellite

JUL			Unannounced		Peacekeeper		LF-02
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is unarmed warheads (probably
Mk-21). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. Glory Trip 33PA?

AUG-SEP		10:00-13:00		Falcon I		SLC-3W
Payload is the Naval Research Laboratory's TacSat-1 satellite. The
launch window is fixed and does not change if the launch date changes.

SEP			Unannounced		Minuteman III	LF-04
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads (probably Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. Glory Trip 185GM?

SEP 15		~03:00?		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NOAA N environmental satellite

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	         Southern California Astronomical Events
			          for 2004 April

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

APR 4		01:06		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of two of Jupiter's moons are visible on planet's disk.

APR 4		02:00		Time Change
Daylight Savings Time begins. Set clocks ahead one hour

APR 5		04:03		Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise and is visible all night

APR 5		21:54		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa are visible on planet's
disk.

APR 11	20:46		Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon

APR 13	00:31		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa are visible on planet's
disk.

APR 16	18:00		Mercury Inferior Conjunction
Mercury passes between the Eartn and the Sun and is lost in the Sun's
glare.

APR 17-18	---		Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers
will hold observing sessions from dark sites

APR 19	06:21		New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon rises
at sunrise and sets at sunset

APR 20	01:08		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of two of Jupiter's moons are visible on planet's disk.

APR 24	23:00		Lunar Conjunction
The Moon passes 5� north of Saturn.

APR 27	03:34		Jupiter Dual Satellite Transit
Two of Jupiter's moons simultaneously pass in front of the planet's
disk.

APR 27	10:32		First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight

APR 29	19:00		Lunar Conjunction
The Moon passes 4� north of Jupiter.

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           NASA's X-43A PROVES HYPERSONIC SCRAMJET FLIGHT
                          NASA News Release
                             2004 MAR 27

NASA's second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft flew successfully
today, the first time an airbreathing scramjet powered aircraft has
flown freely.

The unpiloted vehicle's supersonic combustion ramjet, or scramjet,
ignited as planned and operated for the duration of its hydrogen fuel
supply, which lasted about 10 seconds. The X-43A reached its test
speed of Mach 7.

"It's been a great, record-breaking day," said Larry Huebner, NASA
Langley Research Center's Hyper-X propulsion lead. "We achieved
positive acceleration of the vehicle while we were climbing, and
maintained outstanding vehicle control. This was a world-record speed
for air-breathing flight," Huebner said.

The flight, originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center,
began at 12:40 p.m. PST, as NASA's B-52B launch aircraft carrying the
X-43A lifted off the runway. The X-43A, mounted on a modified Pegasus
booster rocket, was launched from the B-52B just before 2 p.m. The
rocket boosted the X-43A up to its test altitude of about 95,000 ft.
over the Pacific Ocean, where the X-43A separated from the booster
and flew freely for several minutes following scramjet engine
operation, in order to gather aerodynamic data.

"Today was a grand-slam in the bottom of the 12th," said Joel Sitz,
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's X-43A project manager. "It was
fun all the way to Mach 7. We separated the research vehicle from the
launch vehicle, as well as separating the real from the imagined,"
Sitz said.

NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Dryden Flight
Research Center, Edwards, Calif., jointly conduct the Hyper-X
program.  ATK GASL (formerly MicroCraft, Inc.) in Tullahoma, Tenn.,
built both the vehicle and the engine, and Boeing Phantom Works in
Huntington Beach, Calif., designed the thermal protection and onboard
systems. The booster is a modified Pegasus rocket built by Orbital
Sciences Corp. Chandler, Ariz.

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                      X-43 LAUNCH OBSERVATIONS

Three Launch Alert readers reported seeing last Saturday's X-43 test.
Their accounts are reprinted below.

                              Jay McKee

Aviation enthusiast Jay McKee observed from a site 500 feet above the
coast on the Los Angeles County - Ventura County line.

McKee reports "At 1:40pm PST I spotted the contrails of the bomber and
the two chase aircraft. One long double-contrail coming directly
toward me out to the Southwest flanked on both sides by smaller,
shorter contrails. The B-52 was leaving a contrail several miles long
while the chase aircraft maybe only 1/2 mile long each.

The haze was such that the aircraft didn't contrast well enough for me
to see them. All I was able to see were the contrails. The formation
began a wide left turn of about 210 degrees and rolled out on a
westerly heading. As the aircraft were moving directly away from me I
noticed the aircraft/contrail on the starboard side of the formation
diverge away from the formation and hold the "new" distance. With the
formation moving away from me left to right I could only hope that the
launch would occur before I lost sight of the formation in the haze.
Sitting on the car with my elbows braced on the window frame to steady
my binoculars, I concentrated on the head of the contrails as long as
I could. The formation continued on the westerly heading for several
minutes.

When the formation was quite a ways away from me (estimate ~100 miles)
I thought I saw a contrail on a ballistic arc falling away from the
formation. I'm not sure if this was real event or a product of
eyestrain and imagination. A few seconds later I was rewarded with a
contrail climbing up and away from the formation on what looked like a
45 degree angle. The contrail continued straight at that angle and
moved up into clearer air easing my ability to see and track its
climb. I estimate the constant-angle climb was 15 to 20 seconds. After
the straight climb the contrail appeared to arc over on what looked
like a ballistic trajectory. When the contrail reached level flight it
ended. Soon after that the contrail from the bomber/chase formation
disappeared into the haze."

                           Bixler McClure

"I was at the Channel Islands Harbor, just south of Ventura.  In a
northerly direction I saw several contrails, obviously 2 smaller escort
jets and the B-52. They proceeded on a Southerly course and then
started looping back north. It was difficult to see, but I think
around this time I spotted a separate contrail arching upwards. The
planes continued looping back. About half an hour later I saw what I
think was a small fighter jet heading on an south/southeasterly
course."

                              Julian N.

"...I watched it on NASA TV. From my deck in Santa Barbara I could
easily see the contrails from the B-52 and the two chase jets. A little
later I could easily see the smoke plume from the Pegasus low in the
SW."

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