[Launch Alert] Minuteman III Launch

Wed Apr 5 21:16:12 EDT 2006

                             LAUNCH ALERT

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

				            2006 April 5 (Wednesday) 18:12 PDT
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                        MINUTEMAN III LAUNCH
                     Vandenberg AFB News Release

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An unarmed Minuteman III
intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to launch from North
Vandenberg Friday morning as part of a developmental test to
demonstrate the ability to the weapon system’s effectiveness in a
stressed environment on extended range. The six-hour launch window is
from 3:01 a.m. to 9:01 a.m. PST*.

The missile will launch under the direction of the 576th Flight Test
Squadron here.

Col. Jack Weinstein, 30th Space Wing commander, is the spacelift
commander.

Members of the 576th FLTS here installed tracking, telemetry and
command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet
safety requirements.

The missile's single unarmed re-entry vehicle is expected to travel
approximately 5,100 miles, hitting a pre-determined water target near
Guam in the northern Mariana Islands.

The joint operation combines Air Force, Navy and Army range tracking
and weather surveillance.

“Our nation’s ICBM force is a key component to global stability, and
our Airmen are critical in Vandenberg’s ongoing mission to verify,
validate and enhance that capability,” Colonel Weinstein said.

The entire ICBM community, including the Department of Defense and
the Department of Energy will use the data collected through this
mission.

* This should probably say PDT - Editor

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                          COUNTDOWN STATUS

Friday's launch is a military weapon system test. There will probably
be no countdown status available to the public.

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                        E-MAIL CONSIDERATIONS

In the days leading up to a launch, I'm often very busy and have a
hard time answering questions via e-mail. Many questions about launch
viewing and photography can be answered by reading the following
pages:

   www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm

   www.spacearchive.info/vafbphoto.htm

Following a launch, I receive anywhere from a handful to literally
hundreds of e-mails. However, just when I may be under a deadline and
trying to send an important e-mail, I can be flooded with incoming
launch observations and photos.

To prevent any problems, I ask that you do the following:

   - Only send images that are of high quality

   - Send no more than three images

   - Do not send any photo, video, or other attachments larger than
     750 kB.

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