[Launch Alert] Launch On Schedule

[Launch Alert]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                  launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
                        www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                   2012 April 1 (Sunday) 13:41 PDT
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                         LAUNCH ON SCHEDULE

Although the forecast only predicts a 30% probability of acceptable
weather, Monday afternoon's launch of a Delta IV medium rocket from
Vandenberg AFB appears to be on schedule. The Delta is slated to leave
Space Launch Complex 6 at south base at 16:04 PDT and carry a
classified payload into orbit for the U.S. National Reconnaissance
Office.

The launch window has not been announced and is probably For Official
Use Only or classified.

The rocket for this launch consists of a liquid fuel Delta IV core
vehicle with two large strap-on solid rocket motors. The first stage
main engine and solid rocket motors will ignite just before liftoff
and generate about 1.1 million pounds of thrust. The rocket's total
height is nearly 220 feet tall.

If the sky is clear, members of the public who are not specifically
looking for the launch may accidentally notice it up to 50 miles from
the launch site. Launch enthusiasts with an unobstructed horizon who
are looking in the right direction at the right time may see the first
minute or so of the launch from as far away as 110 miles.

Under ideal conditions, people in quiet locations as far as 50 miles
from the launch site may hear the launch. The sound may take up to 5
minutes to arrive in outlying areas and will probably consist of a
distant, low frequency rumble.

For current launch status, go to:

   www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d359/status.html

   www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Multimedia_Webcast.shtml

For information on viewing Vandenberg launches, point your browser to:

   www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm

Detailed information about photographing Vandenberg launches is
available at:

   www.spacearchive.info/vafbphoto.htm

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                 UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE MEDIA UPDATE
                         2012 March 31

The following is an excerpt from a ULA media advisory issued late
Saturday afternoon. ULA is the launch services provider for this
launch.

"The team has completed its assessment of an observation on the upper
stage engine. The Delta IV NROL-25 launch is set for Monday, April 2
at 4:04 p.m. PDT from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California. The L-3 weather forecast shows a 30 percent chance
of favorable weather conditions for launch."

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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                         As of 2012 April 1

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

APR 2           16:04                   Delta IV            SLC-6
Vehicle will launch the classified NROL-25 payload for the U.S.
National Reconnaissance Office. The launch window has not been
announced and is probably classified. Delayed from March 29 and 30 

Unknown         To be announced         Minuteman III       ---
Test launch. The Defense Department may release some details about the
launch a few days in advance. Delayed from MAR 1 due to technical
problems.  

AUG 2           To be announced         Atlas V             SLC-3E
Vehicle will launch the classified NROL-36 payload for the U.S.
National Reconnaissance Office  

DEC 1           To be announced         Pegasus XL          N/A
Vehicle will be air-dropped from an L-1011 jumbo jet flying offshore.
The aircraft will be staged from Vandenberg AFB.  

2012            To be announced         Falcon 9            SLC-4E
Vehicle will launch a payload for MDA Corp. (Canada)  

2012            To be announced         Falcon Heavy        SLC-4E
Falcon Heavy demonstration flight  

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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