[Launch Alert] Minuteman III Launch Scheduled

Sat Nov 1 18:56:06 EST 2008

                             LAUNCH ALERT

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

                              2008 November 1 (Saturday) 16:51 PDT
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                   MINUTEMAN III LAUNCH SCHEDULED
                     Vandenberg AFB News Release
                             October 31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - An unarmed Minuteman III
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) configured with one joint
test assembly is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg Wednesday
morning as an operational test to determine the weapon system's
reliability and accuracy. The six-hour launch window is from 12:01
a.m. to 6:01 a.m.

The missile will be launched under the direction of the 576th Flight
Test Squadron. Operational tasks were conducted by maintenance and
operations task force personnel from the 90th Missile Wing, F.E.
Warren AFB, WY. Members of the 576th FLTS installed tracking,
telemetry and command destruct systems on the missile to collect data
and meet safety requirements. A crew on the Airborne Launch Control
System from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE,
will send preparatory and execute launch commands to the missile
during the countdown.

Col. David J. Buck, 30th Space Wing commander, is the spacelift
commander for this mission. Lt. Col. Lesa K. Toler, 576th FLTS
commander, is the mission director.

"This is an exciting time right now in the nuclear business with many
changes in organizational structure, policy and procedures" said Lt
Col Toler. "but, one thing that will remain constant is the extremely
high probability of placing a bomb on target," she said.

The missile's one unarmed re-entry vehicle is expected to travel
approximately 4,190 miles, hitting a pre-determined target near the
Kwajalein Atoll.

The entire ICBM community, including the Department of Defense and the
Department of Energy, will use the data collected from this mission
for continuing force development evaluation.

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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                         As of 2008 November 1
                    Launch
                  Time/Window
  Date             (PST/PDT)               Vehicle          Pad/Silo
--------        ---------------         -------------       --------

NOV 5           00:01-06:01             Minuteman III       ---
Vehicle will send one unarmed warhead on a ballistic trajectory to the
central Pacific. A crew aboard an aircraft from the 625th Strategic
Operations Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE, will send preparatory and execute
launch commands to the missile during the countdown.

DEC-JAN         To be announced         GBI                 ---
Scenario calls for the launch of a mock warhead from the Kodiak Launch
Complex, 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) scientific satellite

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

APR 30          To be announced         Delta II            SLC-2W
Payload is the Missile Dense Agency's STSS ATRR

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                         ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
                            2008 November
                Computed for Los Angeles, California

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

NOV 2           02:00           Time Change
Standard Time begins. Set clocks back one hour

NOV 5           21:03           First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight

NOV 12          22:17           Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is visible all night

NOV 14          20:00           Large Tides
Moon at perigee. Large tides

NOV 17          00:00-05:00     Leonid Meteor Shower
Observers in dark locations should see several meteors per hour under
good conditions. Shower is predicted to peak on NOV 17 at 02:00 PST
(NOV 17 10:00 UTC).

NOV 19          13:31           Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon

NOV 25          08:52           Mercury Superior Conjunction
Mercury passes behind the Sun and is lost in the Sun's glare.

NOV 27          08:55           New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon rises
at sunrise and sets at sunset

NOV 29-30       ---             Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers may
hold observing sessions at dark sites

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