[Launch Alert] Delta II Launch Scheduled

Sun Aug 31 12:30:48 EDT 2008

                             LAUNCH ALERT

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

                                 2008 August 31 (Sunday) 08:13 PDT
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                      DELTA II LAUNCH SCHEDULED
                     Vandenberg AFB News Release

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Vandenberg is scheduled to launch
a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the GeoEye-1
Satellite from Space Launch Complex-2 on North Vandenberg Thursday,
Sept. 4, at approximately 11:50 a.m.

The GeoEye-1 satellite will collect high resolution imagery for a wide
array of commercial and government applications.

Col. David J. Buck, 30th Space Wing commander, will be the spacelift
commander for this mission.

Boeing Launch Services procured the launch vehicle and associated
support services from United Launch Alliance. A Delta II 7420-10
configuration launch vehicle is expected to deploy the GeoEye-1
spacecraft approximately 58 minutes after liftoff.

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                          COUNTDOWN STATUS

Space journalist Justin Ray of Spaceflight Now will probably provide
current countdown status on a web page devoted to this launch. Point
your browser to:

  http://www.spaceflightnow.com

On launch day, the launch status page will be updated frequently
beginning at about T-1 hour. Be sure to regularly hit the refresh
button on your browser to see the latest information.

Boeing will broadcast the launch throughout the continental United
States at:

  Satellite:  AMC-1 C17
  Orbital Location: 103 Degrees West 
  Uplink Frequency: 6265 MHz Vertical
  Downlink Frequency: 4040 MHz Horizontal
  Audio: 6.2 and 6.8

The broadcast begins at 11:00 a.m., PDT with bars and tone and ends
about 1:00 p.m. A one-hour test signal will be broadcast Sept. 3 from
VAFB beginning at 1:00 p.m. PDT. The test will include bars, tone and
an identifying slate. Prior to the scheduled test media should verify
their receiving equipment is capable of receiving C band signals and
AMC-1 C17.

Boeing will web cast the launch at:
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bls/missions/335/. 

Viewers may also access the live web cast at: geoeye.com or
http://launch.geoeye.com. 

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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

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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                         As of 2008 August 31

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

SEP 4             11:50:57                Delta II          SLC-2W
Payload is the GeoEye 1 commercial Earth imaging satellite. The
booster will use the Delta-7420-10C configuration and insert the
payload into a 425-mile (684-km), 98?, sun-synchronous orbit with a
10:30 a.m. equator crossing time 

NET Late OCT      ~09:12                  Atlas V           SLC-3E
Payload is the DMSP F-18 military weather satellite 

OCT 23            To be announced         Delta II          SLC-2W
Vehicle will launch the COSMO-SkyMed 3 earth observation satellite. 

NOV-JAN           To be announced         TLV               ---
Target Launch Vehicle. Launch will be scheduled to coincide with a
pass of the NFIRE military satellite, which will observe the launch.
Operation Name: NFIRE-2B 

DEC-JAN           To be announced         GBI               ---
Scenario calls for the launch of a mock warhead from Kodiak, Alaska
followed by a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) from Vandenberg AFB. The
DoD will announce the launch time several hours in advance. Operation
Name: FTG-05 

JAN 15            To be announced         Taurus XL         576-E
Payload is the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) environmental
satellite 

FEB 4             To be announced         Delta II          SLC-2W
Payload is the NOAA-N Prime environmental satellite 

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                         ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
                            2008 September
                 Computed for Los Angeles, California

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

SEP 3       19:00       Saturn Conjunction
Saturn passes behind the Sun and is lost in the Sun's glare. 

SEP 7       07:04       First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight 

SEP 10      21:00       Conjunction
Mercury 4? south of Venus 

SEP 10      21:32       Mercury Eastern Elongation
Mercury attains its greatest angular separation from the Sun and is
visible low in the west at dusk. 

SEP 11      13:00       Conjunction
Venus 0.3? north of Mars 

SEP 12      22:00       Conjunction
Mercury 3? south of Mars 

SEP 12      19:21       Uranus Opposition
Uranus is opposite the Sun with respect to Earth and rises at sunset. 

SEP 15      02:13       Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is visible all night 

SEP 21      22:04       Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon 

SEP 27-28   ---         Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers
may hold observing sessions at dark sites 

SEP 29      01:12       New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon
rises at sunrise and sets at sunset 

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