[Launch Alert] X-37B Sonic Boom

Thu Dec 9 22:40:14 EST 2010

                             LAUNCH ALERT

                             Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                  launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
                     http://www.spacearchive.info

                              2010 December 9 (Thursday) 19:30 PST
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                          X-37B SONIC BOOM

As reported previously, the Air Force's unmanned X-37B spacecraft
landed at Vandenberg AFB last Friday at 1:16 a.m. PST.

Launch Alert reader Brian Bartky was in Camarillo and reports hearing
a sonic boom at about that time. In an e-mail to the Editor, he wrote:

" ... I heard a sonic boom early Friday morning. When I heard the boom
it took me a minute or so to remember that the X-37B was expected to
land. And when I looked at my watch it said 1:20 a.m.; however, my
watch tends to run a little fast. So, it was probably closer to 1:15
... I've heard the shuttle several times and the sonic boom from an
F-4 so I'm very confident of what I heard ... it was a single boom
unlike the double one the shuttle makes. And the window in my computer
room rattled. Finally, since it was around the right time I'm
confident it was a sonic boom from the X-37-B's approach."

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                          WEB SITE UPDATES

An audio clip about last year's Delta II/WISE (Widefield Infrared
Survey Experiment) was posted to the Vandenberg AFB Rocket and Missile
Launch Multimedia page.

The page is located at:

   http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbmultimedia.htm

Look for the link titled "Delta II / WISE".

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       STSS DEMONSTRATION SATELLITES DETECT ICBM TEST LAUNCH,
        TRACK MINUTEMAN III MISSILE THROUGH POST-BOOST PHASE
                 Northrop Grumman News Release

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Dec. 7, 2010 -- The Space Tracking
and Surveillance System (STSS) Demonstration program satellites, built
by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and Raytheon Company
(NYSE:RTN), detected the test launch of a Minuteman III
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Sept. 17 and tracked it
through the boost and post-boost phases for the first time.

The single reentry test vehicle from the missile traveled
approximately 5,300 miles to a pre-determined point about 200 miles
southwest of Guam, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The missile defense satellites transmitted tracking data to the
Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center at Schriever Air
Force Base, Colo., where the information is being analyzed.          

"STSS acquired the target during the boost phase and continued to
track post-boost using multiple track sensor infrared bands for the
first time," said Doug Young, vice president of missile defense and
missile warning programs for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems
sector. "This test demonstrated the ability of STSS to track
cold-body objects post-boost, an important capability needed by the
Missile Defense Agency for the Ballistic Missile Defense System."

Earlier in September, STSS successfully autonomously acquired and
tracked a threat representative short range ballistic missile that was
launched during an MDA test involving the Airborne Laser Test Bed.

The MDA is pursuing the STSS Demonstration program as a space-based
sensor component of the BMDS. The satellites are demonstrating the
ability of space sensors to provide high-precision, real-time
tracking of missiles and midcourse objects, enabling simultaneous
theatre, regional, and strategic missile defense.

Data from STSS testing is validating the ability to acquire and track
missiles in all phases of flight, to close the fire control loop with
BMDS interceptors from space and supporting the development of a
future operational missile defense satellite constellation.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company
whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and
solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding
and technical services to government and commercial customers
worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

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               LOOKING BACK: Goldstone Tracking Station
                            by Brian Webb

               Reprinted from www.spacearchive.info

In a matter of weeks, high school students will be enjoying Christmas
Break. I recently recalled an interesting road trip that my friends
and I took in December 1974 during my senior year. 

Very early one morning my friend and model rocket enthusiast Peter
swung by at some inhumanely early hour (4 a.m. perhaps) and picked me
up. We then proceeded to pick up my best friend Tom and headed out to
the desert to launch model rockets. 

Some three or more hours later we arrived at Lucerne Dry Lake, a
large, perfectly flat patch of dry mud and sediment more or less in
the middle of nowhere. I can't recall, but I believe it was already
daylight when we arrived. One thing I do remember is that it was cold. 

For the next few hours we watched Peter launch his many model rockets
and helped retrieve them after flight. Later, we entertained ourselves
by having Tom back away about 40 or 50 yards and yell while we
observed his face through binoculars. He was far enough away that the
movement of his mouth was really out of synch with the sound, which
arrived noticeably later. 

The activity at the dry lake apparently grew old fairly quickly
because we packed our things and left by 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. 

We were soon headed unannounced to the Goldstone tracking station
north of Barstow to see if we could look around (such things were
possible back then). We had apparently planned to visit Goldstone in
advance. 

We stopped at a convenience store for provisions. My breakfast that day
consisted of a Nestle Crunch bar. 

We passed through Barstow and headed north through the desert. We
entered Fort Irwin, an active military training area. For me it was
somewhat spooky because I knew large weapons were fired there (seven
years earlier, my father and I were looking for fossils in nearby
Rainbow Basin and I was startled by the loud report of a canon from
the fort). 

Eventually, we came upon a guard shack at the entrance of the
facility. We spoke to the guard and told him we would like to look
around. The guard made a phone call to someone inside the complex.
While we waited, we watched a pack of coyotes pass by the guard shack.
One of use commented on the animals and the guard said they were a
regular fixture there. 

I believe we were given permission to enter and told to proceed to an
administrative building where we met a public affairs officer or
manager posted at Goldstone. 

>From there we were allowed to drive on our own to a large antenna
referred to as the Apollo antenna. It was probably built to support
U.S. manned missions to the Moon. 

We entered a building near the base of the antenna and stepped into a
brightly lit control room with numerous control panels and displays.
A friendly middle aged technician from Vickers hydraulics spoke with
us and told us about the antenna and what he did there. 

Out of the window we could see the nearby Echo antenna. It was built
for Project Echo which assessed the feasibility of using aluminized
balloons in orbit to reflect radio signals for long range
communications. 

While we were inside the Apollo station, we learned that the Skylab
space station would soon be making a pass over Goldstone. A few
minutes later, Skylab, with three U.S. astronauts on board came "over
the hill" (rose above our western horizon). 

For the next few minutes, the huge antenna tracked Skylab as it
simultaneously received and uplinked signals from the spacecraft. If
memory serves me correctly, there was a speaker in a control panel
near us and we could hear the astronauts talking to mission control.
Being there for that pass was the highlight of the trip. 

We left the Apollo station and headed toward the largest antenna at
Goldstone. Outside it was gray and gloomy due to a layer of dense
high clouds. 

As we approached the 210-foot antenna, it got larger and larger. I
really didn't realize how big it was until we parked the truck 50
yards or so from the base and got out. The antenna was truly enormous. 

We spent a few minutes marveling at the giant structure before
getting back into the truck and heading for home. 

That's how I spent Christmas vacation 1973-74. 

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