[Launch Alert] Minuteman III Launched

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                         kd6nrp at earthlink.net
                     http://www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                   2009 June 29 (Monday) 04:47 PDT
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            VANDENBERG SUCESSFULLY LAUNCHES MINUTEMAN III
                    Vandenberg AFB News Release
                            2009 June 29

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - An unarmed Minuteman III
intercontinental ballistic missile configured with a National Nuclear
Security Administration test assembly launched from North Vandenberg
today at 3:01 a.m.

The launch was an operational test to verify the weapon system's
reliability and accuracy.

The missile carried three unarmed re-entry vehicles approximately
4,190 miles at speeds in excess of 24,000 mph to their pre-determined
targets near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Col. David Buck, the 30th Space Wing commander, was the mission's
launch decision authority.  Lt. Col. Lesa K. Toler, the 576th Flight
Test Squadron commander, was the mission director for this test
launch.

"It's really something when you see a truly outstanding team come
together," Colonel Buck said.  "As a former Top Hander myself, I know
that the Airmen of the 576th FLTS are the best of the best when it
comes to force development evaluation, and, as the 30th Space Wing
commander, I know that this is the best range team in the world. I
couldn't think of a better team to demonstrate the awesome capability
of our ICBM fleet."  

Throughout the preparation and execution of the mission, maintenance
and operations task force personnel from the 91st Missile Wing out of
Minot AFB, N.D., integrated with the 576th FLTS to perform operational
tasks.  Members of the 576th FLTS installed tracking, telemetry and
command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet 30th
Space Wing safety requirements.

"These are dangerous times we're living in right now," said Colonel
Toler. "It's extremely important our combatant commander has the
capabilities he needs to perform the mission of fighting and winning
our nation's wars. Testing an operational asset pulled from the
missile field at Minot provides us confidence our weapon system is
capable of performing when needed."

The data collected will be used by the entire ICBM community,
including the United States Strategic Command planners and Department
of Energy laboratories.

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