[Launch Alert] Mystery Launch Follow-Up

[kd6nrp at earthlink.net]

The following is being posted to my Launch Alert Newsleter and provided to people who are not newsletter subscribers:

 

Here are some additional thoughts regarding yesterday afternoon's mystery missile launch off of the southhern California coast.

 

I have viewed the video and it indeed looks like the launch of a small to medium size solid fuel missile taken at fairly close range.

 

One thing I noticed was a helicopter in the foreground. I wonder if that was another news helicopter or a miltary helicopter securing the airspace around the launch site and photographing the launch.

 

One question I have is why was the news helicopter so conveniently placed to capture the video. A news tip perhaps.

 

Another thing I noticed is what appears to be land (perhaps an island) in the foreground. I wonder if the missile was launched from the U.S. Navy's San Nicolas island, a known launch site for small- and medium-sized missiles*.

 

According the media reports, there were No Notices to Airmen or Notices to Mariners telling aircraft and ships to stay away. In order the find a military issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), you have to know which web site to go to (https://www.notams.jcs.mil?) and how to perform a search. Furthermore, once an operation is finished, the applicable NOTAM (and airspace closure) is cancelled and it disappears off of thw web site).

My understanding is that it is not that easy to locate cancelled or old NOTAMs. To do so takes some digging.


The ocean area west of Los Angeles and Ventura County is an established test range for military weapons and the area is equipped with radar tracking, telemetry collection, and other assests.

 

At this point this is all I can add.

 

Regards,

 

Brian Webb
www.spacearchive.info

 

*In the past few years, launches from San Nicolas Island have included missiles for a U.S.-Israel missile defense test and a rocket built by cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy.