[Launch Alert] Friday Rocket Launch

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT

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

				           2006 April 12 (Wednesday) 05:11 PDT
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                      MINOTAUR LAUNCH SCHEDULED
                     Vandenberg AFB News Release

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Vandenberg AFB is set to launch a
Minotaur rocket Friday from Space Launch Complex-8 on South
Vandenberg. The launch period is from 5:10 to 8:10 p.m. The Minotaur
will launch the COSMIC spacecraft, which consists of six low-earth
orbiting, micro-satellites.

While in orbit, the satellites will form a constellation and collect
data on atmospheric moisture.

30th Space Wing Commander Col. Jack Weinstein will be the spacelift
commander, or final "go for launch" authority, for Friday's launch.

The Minotaur rocket is a ground-based variant of the Orbital Sciences
Corp. air-launched Pegasus rocket. It is capable of launching up to
3,000 pounds into a low-Earth orbit and up to 800 pounds into
geosynchronous transfer orbit.

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