[Launch Alert] New Mexico Launch

[Launch Alert]

The following is a news release from White Sands Missile Range:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Release No. 88
Date:  September 10, 2012

White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Sept. 5, 2012- Preparations are being
completed at Fort Wingate near Gallup, N.M., for a Juno target missile
firing from the old depot to White Sands Missile Range.  The launch is
tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Sep. 13 between 6:30 and 7:45 a.m. The
public may view the launch from Red Rock State Park.  

     The Juno missile will drop a booster into an evacuated safety zone
during its flight to the missile range.  In addition to this safety drop
zone near Datil, N.M., there will be short safety roadblocks and evacuations
around the immediate Fort Wingate area - mostly to the south and east. 

     The roadblocks include the following:  New Mexico Route 400 between the
Fort Wingate historic monument and McGaffey Lake; Forest Route 191 between
New Mexico Route 400 and six miles to the west; Forest Route 547 between
Sixmile Spring and McGaffey Lake.  In addition, gates along New Mexico Route
400 will be closed to passage. 

     The roadblocks should last between two and four hours.  However,
traffic traveling straight through on New Mexico Route 400 will be screened
through up to 6 a.m.. 

     In addition to the roadblocks, Quaking Aspens campground will be
evacuated for the launch.  Since the firing will be in the early morning,
camping at the site will not be allowed the night before so that National
Forest Service officials can be assured the area is evacuated. 

     The evacuation area for the booster drop zone is comprised of private
and national forest lands north of Datil and includes the northern portion
of the Datil Mountains.  The area is north of U.S. Highway 60, west of State
Highway 52 and east of Forest Road 6A.  Roadblocks on the perimeter of the
area will be set at 4 a.m. The airspace over Fort Wingate and the booster
drop zone will be restricted for several hours for the launch.  The
avoidance area will be posted by the Federal Aviation Agency in the form of
a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).  The airspace at the end of the flight is over
White Sands Missile Range and is already restricted. There have been 14
target missions from Fort Wingate to White Sands Missile Range.  The first
mission was conducted in November 1997.  The most recent mission was in
February 2011.   

--------------------

The following status for Thursday's launch from Vandenberg AFB was issued
earlier today by the United Launch Alliance:

The Launch Readiness Review was completed today and the team gave a go to
proceed with the Atlas V NROL-36 launch set for Thursday, Sept. 13 from
Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The L-1
weather forecast continues to show a 100 percent chance of favorable weather
conditions for launch.