[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

Thu Jun 30 23:07:03 EDT 2005

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				             2005 June 30 (Thursday) 19:58 PDT
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		       VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
			       As of 2005 June 30

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

JUL			Unknown			Minotaur		SLC-8
Payload is STP-R1 satellite

JUL 21		To be announced		Minuteman III	LF-10
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads. Impact area is the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. The Air Force will announce the launch window about
36-hours in advance.

AUG 22		~03:00			Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is the CloudSat and CALIPSO environmental satellites

AUG 25		To be announced		Minuteman III	LF-26
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads. Impact area is the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. The Air Force will announce the launch window about
36-hours in advance.

AUG 30		To be announced		Delta IV		SLC-6
Classified National Reconnaissance Office payload. The DoD will
announce the launch time about 24-hours in advance. NRO L-22

SEP 7			To be announced		Minuteman III	LF-04
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads. Impact area is the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. The Air Force will announce the launch window about
36-hours in advance.

SEP 9			To be announced		Titan IV		SLC-4E
Classified National Reconnaissance Office payload. The DoD will
announce the launch time about 24-hours in advance.

SEP 14		To be announced		Minuteman III	LF-09
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads. Impact area is the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. The Air Force will announce the launch window about
36-hours in advance.

OCT?			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.

DEC			Unknown			Minotaur		SLC-8
Payload is COSMIC scientific satellites

DEC			To be announced		Delta IV		SLC-6
Payload is the DMSP F-17 military weather satellite

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	        Southern California Astronomical Events
			          for 2005 July

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

JUL 2-3	---			Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers may
hold observing sessions at dark sites

JUL 3		22:52			Comet Impact
Impactor from the Deep Impact spacecraft will impact comet Tempel 1.

JUL 6		05:02			New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon rises
at sunrise and sets at sunset

JUL 7		01:00			Planetary Conjunction
Venus 1.6° north of Mercury

JUL 8		~11:00		Lunar Conjunction
The Moon passes 5° north of Mercury. Time and separation computed for
the Earth's center. They may vary significantly for other locations

JUL 8		~12:00		Lunar Conjunction
The Moon passes 3° north of Venus. Time and separation computed for
the Earth's center. They may vary significantly for other locations

JUL 8		20:00			Mercury Eastern Elongation
Elusive Mercury attains its greatest angular separation from the Sun
and is visible low in the west at dusk.

JUL 9-10	---			Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers may
hold observing sessions at dark sites

JUL 14	08:20 		First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight

JUL 17	20:14-21:09		Lunar Occultation
The Moon occults (passes in front of) the +1.2 magnitude star Antares.
Star disappears at 20:14 and reappears at 21:09. Times computed for
downtown Los Angeles and will vary depending on your location

JUL 21	04:00			Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is visible all night

JUL 22	08:00			Planetary Appulse
Venus and the star Regulus 1.2° apart

JUL 23	10:00			Saturn Conjunction
Saturn passes behind the Sun and is lost in the Sun's glare.

JUL 27	20:19			Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon

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                             DEEP IMPACT

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft continues to close-in on comet Tempel 1.
Late Saturday the probe will release a 39-inch-wide impactor into the
path of comet. On July 3 at 22:52 PDT (±3 minutes) Earth-receive time,
the impactor should hit its target.

Scientists hope the event will provide information about Tempel 1's
basic structure and density. Material beneath the surface of the
comet, relatively unchanged since the solar system's formation, may
answer questions about its birth.

Although comet Tempel 1 is currently rather dim, it could brighten
significantly following impact and possibly be visible from the
suburbs using binoculars or with the naked eye from very dark sites.

For more information regarding the Deep Impact mission, refer to the
following sources:

Mission Information (press kit, news, images, briefing schedule)

  http://www.nasa.gov/deepimpact

Observing

  General Information
  http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/article_1522_1.asp

  Charts and Ephemerides
  http://www.heavens-above.com
  http://deepimpact.umd.edu/amateur/charts/index.shtml

  Small Telescope Science Program (STSP)
  http://deepimpact.umd.edu/stsp

  Amateur Observers' Program (AOP)
  http://deepimpact.umd.edu/amateur

Mission Coverage

  NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ntv) plans to provide coverage of the
  mission at the following times (all times PDT):

  July 1, Friday
  10:00-10:45 Pre-impact mission engineering briefing
  11:00-11:45 Pre-impact mission science briefing
  11:45–12:00 Replay of images/animations
  13:00-16:00 Pre-impact live interviews

  July 3, Sunday
  10:00–11:00 Pre-impact separation and navigation update
  20:30–00:30 (July 4) Commentary

  July 4, Monday
  01:00–02:00 Post-impact press conference
  04:00–07:00 Live interviews
  11:00-12:00 Post-impact press conference
  13:00-16:00 Post-impact live interviews

  NASA TV is available over the Internet, via satellite, and on some
  cable TV systems.

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