[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

Mon Feb 1 21:53:28 EST 2010

                             LAUNCH ALERT

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

                                2010 February 1 (Monday) 18:48 PST
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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                        As of 2010 February 1

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

JUN              To be announced         Minuteman III      ---
Vehicle will probably send one or more unarmed warheads on a ballistic
trajectory to the central Pacific

JUN              To be announced         Minuteman III      ---
Vehicle will probably send one or more unarmed warheads on a ballistic
trajectory to the central Pacific

SEP              To be announced         Minuteman III      ---
Vehicle will probably send one or more unarmed warheads on a ballistic
trajectory to the central Pacific

OCT-NOV          To be announced         Delta II           SLC-2W
Vehicle will launch the COSMO-SkyMed 4 commercial radar Earth-imaging
satellite  

OCT-DEC          Evening?                Minotaur IV        SLC-8
First-ever Minotaur IV launch. Payload is the Space-Based Space
Surveillance (SBSS) satellite. Delayed from OCT due to concerns with
the launch vehicle  

OCT              To be announced         Atlas V            SLC-3
Vehicle will launch the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-41
payload  

NOV 22           To be announced         Taurus             576E
Payload is the Glory scientific satellite  

DEC 1            To be announced         Delta IV Heavy     SLC-6
Vehicle will launch the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-49
payload  

The above schedule is a composite of unclassified information
approved for public release from government, industry, and other
sources. It represents the Editor's best effort to produce a schedule,
but may disagree with other sources. Details on military launches are
withheld until they are approved for public release. For official
information regarding Vandenberg AFB activities, go to
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil.

All launch dates and times are given in Pacific Time using a 24-hour
format similar to military time (midnight = 00:00, 1:00 p.m. = 13:00,
11:00 p.m. = 23:00, etc.). 

The dates and times in this schedule may not agree with those on other
online launch schedules, including the official Vandenberg AFB
schedule because different sources were used, the information was
interpreted differently, and the schedules were updated at different
times. 

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                   INTERCEPTOR LAUNCH OBSERVATION

Mike Burgess was lucky enough to see yesterday's Ground-based
Interceptor launch from Vandenberg AFB. He sent the Editor the
following report:

"While on the Amtrak #11 Coast Starlight, southbound, we were just
north of the VAB boundary at about 3:45 when the Vandenberg launch
occurred. My wife and I were in the Parlor Car, when they announced
the event over the PA. Because of equipment conditions, on this train,
the Parlor Car was the only car with curved overhead windows, and the
launch was visible from both sides, as the interceptor climbed. It
left a very noticeable trail, but dissipated fairly quickly. From the
near launch site position we were in, the vehicle  was markedly faster
that previously viewed launches from Los Angeles (LAX area) The dual
glazed, heavy tint, curved windows precluded any usable photos, but it
was a grand sight anyway.

Earlier that day, when I'd asked about the launch, the crew members
had no idea, so it's likely Amtrak did not pass on the info until the
very last minute to the Engineer, where in the cab, should have had a
marvelous view."

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