[Launch Alert] Successful Launch

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			           Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		             kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	               http://www.spacearchive.info

				           2007 August 23 (Thursday) 05:23 PDT
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 VANDENBERG SUPPORTS SUCCESSFUL MISSILE DEFENSE TRACKING EXPERIMENT

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Vandenberg successfully launched a
space launch vehicle, the Chimera, which is a modified Minuteman II
booster vehicle with a simplified target payload today at 1:31 a.m.
from North Vandenberg.

The launch was part of an exercise involving the tracking of a
long-range target missile by the Near Field Infrared Experiment
(NFIRE) research satellite.

"This is another example of the flawless teamwork between the 30th
Space Wing and the Missile Defense Agency," said Col. Steve Tanous,
30th Space Wing commander.  "This launch showcases our mission here at
Vandenberg. We conduct launch and range operations to deliver space
power for the Air Force, DoD and our commercial partners."

This exercise provided an opportunity for the NFIRE satellite to
collect high and low resolution images of a boosting rocket which will
improve understanding of missile exhaust plume observations and plume-
to-rocket body discrimination.

Program officials will continue to evaluate system performance based
upon telemetry and other data obtained during the exercise. The
Missile Defense Agency, a joint service agency of the Department of
Defense, will use this data to validate and update models and
simulations that are fundamental to missile defense technologies.

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