[Launch Alert] Successful Launch

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                             Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                         kd6nrp at earthlink.net
                     http://www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                2008 December 5 (Friday) 17:39 PST
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            VANDENBERG SUPPORTS SUCCESSFUL MISSILE DEFENSE
                       EXERCISE AND FLIGHT TEST
                     Vandenberg AFB News Release
                             2008 DEC 5

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - A Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
interceptor missile successfully launched at 12:21 p.m. today from
North Vandenberg. The launch was part of an exercise and flight test
involving the intercept of an intercontinental ballistic missile by a
ground-based interceptor missile designed to protect the United States
against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack.

For this exercise, a threat-representative target missile was launched
from the Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak, Alaska.  Approximately 20
minutes later, an operationally-configured interceptor missile was
launched from the Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site here.

"The nature of today's launch presented some incredibly unique
challenges," said Col. David Buck, 30th Space Wing commander and
launch decision authority for today's launch. "The team here at
Vandenberg masterfully manages the Western Range, but today we had to
synchronize our efforts with Kodiak, which raises the bar. What
happened here today was the product of outstanding teamwork,
split-second decision making and flawless execution. As always, I am
amazed at the professionalism and dedication of this wing and its
mission partners."

Based on initial indications, this was a successful mission. Program
officials will continue to evaluate system performance based upon
telemetry and other data obtained during the test.

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