[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

Sat Apr 16 19:03:36 EDT 2011

                             LAUNCH ALERT

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

                                2011 April 16 (Saturday) 15:38 PDT
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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                         As of 2011 April 16

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

NET JUN 9       07:20:13-07:25:13        Delta II          SLC-2W
Vehicle will launch Argentina's SAC-D environmental satellite carrying
NASA's Aquarius instrument  

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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                 ATLAS V/NROL-34 LAUNCH OBSERVATIONS

An Atlas V rocket carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office
payload lifted-off from Vandenberg AFB on the evening of April 14 at
21:24 PDT.

Liftoff took place 1 hour and 54 minutes after Vandenberg AFB sunset
and the rocket was in the Earth's during the entire duration of the
first stage burn. This prevented the exhaust plume from being
illuminated by the Sun. Launch viewing was also affected by the Moon,
which was 87% illuminated at liftoff.

Despite these factors, the launch was visible to the unaided eye
across a wide area.

The following is a compilation of observations of that launch.

Alan Zeleznikar
Mira Costa College
Oceanside, Calif.

The weather cooperated here in North San Diego County tonight; I just  
saw it. Small deep red dot low on the horizon at first but very  
quickly nearly overhead with a bright white conical plume out the
back.

Bill Fawcett
Tujunga, Calif.

>From Tujunga, CA we were able to watch the vehicle for a full 4
minutes before it disappeared (into the Earth's shadow?)

Brian Bartky
Camarillo, Calif.

I was in a group of 15 people in the Mission Oaks Plaza shopping
center in Camarillo who saw it. It was very bright and the exhaust
plume was clearly visible. Unfortunately, I had a camera malfunction
and was unable to get any pictures or video.

Brian Webb
Ventura County

I observed the launch from my backyard. Before liftoff, I set up my
Nikon 10x50 binoculars on a tripod. I accessed ULA's launch webcast
from my home office and later opened the back window so I could hear
the countdown in my backyard.

At about T-minus 1 minute 30 seconds I stepped outside and started
looking through the branches of nearby trees toward Vandenberg. I
spotted a distant orange light and trained my binoculars on it. What
was peculiar was how slow the light was moving. After a minute or so I
realized I was looking at a distant street light.

I backed away from the binoculars and using only my eyes, I looked to
the left and immediately saw the flame from the Atlas first stage. It
was bright, orange in color, elongated (roughly 0.1 by 0.6 degrees),
and trailing the rocket (the rocket itself was not visible). If my
recollection is correct, the bright orange flame was surrounded by a
much fainter elongated, colorless, tenuous glow.

Down on the street below me, I heard people talking. They may have
been watching the launch (that morning KCLU public radio aired a news
item about
the launch).

I followed the flame from the Atlas as the booster moved downrange.
Later in the first stage burn, the flame became colorless and began
to grow shorter and wider. Again, if my recollection is correct,
using the unaided eye, the flame was v-shaped with a prominent area
at the top and the bottom which curved away from the Atlas (like a
letter V or the horns of a bull).

I then turn my binoculars on the Atlas. They revealed a large,
detailed, hemisphere shaped flame trailing behind the rocket. The
plume was dynamic and changing as I watched.

The flame suddenly disappeared (no doubt due to first stage cutoff).
I may have briefly seen a hazy point (possibly from staging). I
continued to look for several for second stage ignition, but I saw
nothing.

A few minutes later, around 21:30 I heard an indistinct distant
boom. I dismissed it as possibly being caused by a large truck or
other source in my neighborhood. Later, I realized the boom was
probably from the Atlas V. This is the first time I have ever heard a
launch from my home and this far from the launch site (a distance of
some 100 miles).

The next day I was at a doctor's appointment and a patient who lived
in Thousand Oaks said her windows had rattled at about that time and
that her dog had been startled. She said she soon received telephone
calls about the rattling from three of her neighbors. She thought the
rattling could have been caused by a rocket.

Bruce Hunter, W6WW
Apple Valley, Calif.

Launch easily visible from Apple Valley up to booster separation and 
main engine ignition. Main engine plume not visible.

David Ross
East of San Diego, Calif.

My daughters and I watched from the eighbors driveway as the rocket
approached from the northwest with the rocket trail appear wider and
wider as it approached. We are near Rancho San Diego, 20 miles east of
downtown San Diego. We saw the rocket briefly  go out, reappear a
second or two later, and disappear a few seconds later again. My 16
year old daughter said it was " The Coolest thing ever!".

Derek Morris
Goleta, Calif.

... I set an alarm to remind myself and actually saw my first launch
last night - from Goleta where I live. The "rumble" -low bass sounds -
appeared here about 5-10 minutes after the launch - an interesting
sonic surprise. 

Donald Johnson
Visalia, Calif.

Was able to observe the launch from my front yard in Visalia, Ca.
Almost missed it due to distraction from F/A-18 traffic in-bound to
NAS Lemoore.

Looking southwest, saw a bright red-orange ball rise up well above the
roof-tops and turn south.

Tracked naked-eye for about 4 minutes, think I saw at least 1 staging
event after the turn.

Gary Einstein
Seal Beach, Calif.

Clear night in Seal Beach, CA (Orange County)

Could see the Atlas from just above the NW horizon until what I assume was
separation/burn out. Amazing that we could watch from just after lift for
30-40 seconds.

Very bright red.

Jaime Flores
Laguna Hills, Calif.

It was cool, the rocket disappeared for a second then got bright again as
the first stage went out and then the second stage lite up.

I'll have to say, it was the best one I've seen yet! I loved how it went
through Orion.

Juan V. Jimenz
Train Station
Fillmore, Calif.

almost forgot to mention the place was so quiet that I was able to
hear the sonic booms quicly look at the time in my cellphone it was
9:32 PM

Kenneth Stuart
Grover Beach, Calif.

Just finished watching the Atlas V Launch from just in front of our
home in Grover Beach.

This went up more slowly than the Delta Heavy - in fact, my wife at
first thought I was pointing out a street light - it was the same
bright orange.

The light of the engine was unexpectedly bright.

I am almost exactly 40 miles north and almost exactly due north.

The Atlas appeared to start veering east at a much earlier point than
the Delta, and never reached as high a point in the sky - it seemed to
be going south-east.

This time did not hear a sonic boom, unlike the distinct one of the
Delta Heavy Launch.

Kirk Howard
Califia State Beach
San Clemente, Calif.

I am standing on the beach at Califia State Beach in San Clemente.

I just watch the Altas rocket fly past. I saw the separation. It was
an orange glow at first. A's it got perpendicular to my position I
could clearly see the orang v shaped plume.

I may have got an image.

Mike
Miramar
San Diego County, Calif.

Launch was clearly visible from San Diego (Miramar)

Mike Aguilar
Costa Mesa, Calif.

Watched the rocket this evening down in Orange County where it was  
easily visible.

Watched the liftoff online and then went outside and I'm guessing 20  
seconds or so later I picked up the rocket as a small red pinpoint of  
light moving rapidly to the south.

As the vehicle passed over my location I was able to see the staging  
very clearly and then almost instantly after that, it was gone.

Mike Skrzat
Newbury Park

I watched the launch last night along with my wife and 2 house guests
in Newbury Park. It was one of the most spectacular non twilight
launches I have seen. The unusual staging just before it disappeared
was very interesting. But the most unusual thing about this one was
the sonic boom that arrived at 9:34 it was as loud as a space shuttle
boom but only a single boom. I have never heard any sound from a
launch in Newbury with 30-40 under my belt.

This was extra special for our house guests as ones from France and
the other from Spain.

Stephen Murphy
Lomg Beach, Calif.

I seen it here from Long Beach.  It was red and had a long trail
vapor.

Looked really cool. Then it just disappeared.

Stan Konar
San Ferndando Valley, Calif.

It was a gorgeous evening for viewing. We first saw the Atlas about 40
seconds into the flight due west from our house in the San Fernando
Valley. A quick moving orange light with very little visible exahust,
moving up and southwards from about 9:25 until a few second after 9:28
with main staging.  Vapor trail became more visible as it passed about
210 degreees proceeding directly along Orion's belt. The trail became
much wider as it moved south and just before staging. Lovely orange
flame the whole time that grew as it climbed upward and southward.

Steve Dietrich

Lompoc, Calif.

I have watched a lot of launches from my home on hills just east of
the Lompoc airport but this was one of the most impressive. The cool
dry air provided terrific , haze free visibility of the launch pad and
the launch. Normally the moisture dissipates a lot of the light from
the exhaust during the first 2,,,-3,000 feet 

Steve Miller, KD6SPB
Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Setup my astro binoculars (12 x 60) to see the launch from my backyard
in Lake Havasu City, Arizona last night. Acquired the Atlas V about 90
seconds into the flight. There was heavy dust pollution for my area,
normally I acquire the launches within 60 seconds from takeoff.
Observed a really nice display of the accent in the Southwest at about
20 degrees up from my horizon. It seemed this launch was very fast in
travel speed with a impressive separation and short timed (one or two
seconds) burst of light before losing the vehicle. Great show.

T. E. Warren
San Diego, Calif.

Beautiful !!!! from San Diego. Visible for about 1 minute ending at
9:28.

Tom Heinsheimer

Saw it from Palos Verdes -- it was terrific -- even at the end of burn
the hourglass plume, and the bright yellow flash of the Centaur
ignition impinging on the spent stage!

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               ATLAS V/NROL-34 LAUNCH PHOTOS AND VIDEO

The following people have posted images and video of the launch
online:

Adam Ince

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamince/5621283708

Alan Smallbone <asmallbone at fortnereng.com> [Add to Address Book] 

  http://vimeo.com/22428827

Gary Wilkes

  http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v228/mst3k/Canon%207D/
  Vandenberg%20Launch%204-14-11/?albumview=slideshow

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