[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
Launch Alert
launch-alert at mailman.qth.net
Sat Nov 14 13:23:40 EST 2015
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
Ventura County, California
launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
www.spacearchive.info
2015 November 14 (Saturday) 09:51 PST
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VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
Launch
Time/Window
Date (PST/PDT) Vehicle Pad/Silo
-------- ----------------- ------------- --------
December Unknown Falcon 9 SLC-4E
Vehicle will launch the Jason 3 scientific satellite. Launch delayed
from July due to a spacecraft thruster problem. Spacecraft arrived at
Vandenberg AFB on June 18. Launch delayed following the failed launch
of a Falcon 9 in late June from Florida.
FEB 10 To be announced Delta IV SLC-6
Vehicle will launch the classified NROL-45 payload for the U.S.
National Reconnaissance Office. The liquid propellant first stage will
use two strap-on solid rocket motors.
MAR 4 01:50 Atlas V SLC-3
Vehicle will launch the InSight spacecraft to Mars for NASA
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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NEW MEXICO ROCKET LAUNCH
by Brian Webb
A NASA rocket is scheduled for launch from the New Mexico desert early
on the morning of November 16.
The Black Brant IX rocket is slated to lift off from White Sands
Missile Range at 12:30 a.m. Mountain Time and carry an experimental
telescope from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to the edge
of space.
The instrument will collect images of the space around the star
Epsilon Eridani before the rocket falls back to Earth and lands by
parachute.
If the sky is clear, the launch could be visible to the naked eye for
several miles.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATLAS V/NROL-55 LAUNCH OBSERVATIONS
An Atlas V rocket carrying a classified payload and several small
satellites was launched from Vandenberg AFB on 2015 October 8 at 5:49
a.m. PDT. The editor received the following observations and comments
regarding the launch via e-mail. All of the observers were located in
California.
Barbara V.
Los Angeles
"The northwest was overcast when I went up on the roof of my apartment
building at the foot of Runyon Canyon, here in L.A.
But I did see a red ball floating upward through the clouds."
Charles G.
Los Angeles
"I watched my first launch from West Los Angeles with the intent of
shooting some stills and was surprised with a very punchy display as
the craft ended up migrating much further east than I had anticipated.
It was very prominent in the sky and it was moving FAST once it passed
by."
Charles G.
Above San Fernando Valley
"Did not see anything during early and middle portion of event.
We were @ 1900' elevation overlooking the western San Fernando
valley. The conditions were a bit hazy and the light pollution was
substantial as you looked toward the horizon.
Atlas V appeared in WSW sky during later portion of event, heading
towards us and slightly to its "starboard" side. It appeared to pick
up speed and eventually crossed our field of view from right to left
at high speed.
Brightness seemed equivalent to a passenger jet on initial approach to
LAX. it was far away, but we could make out the diffused plume as it
approached."
"Plume seemed to be split into two streams coming off the front of the
Atlas. The plume was not super bright so you could discern a moving
texture, especially as the first stage shut down.
Plume seemed to be white with a tendency toward magenta/cool side as
intensity decreased.
A second or two after the plume appeared to completely burn out, there
was a brief orange-colored flare up."
Chuck H.
Loma Prieta Peak above Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay
"I meant to send this a while back, but this is a short timelapse of
the Atlaz/Monterey Bay. (~185 miles away)
It was a little cloudy, so we could only see it on and off. When we
first saw it, it was bright red and rising. It faded into clouds and
then we could only see it on and off.
Naked eye, it was pretty dim and white/gray after that. We did see a
little extra puff (or something) during separation.
The timelapse uses long exposures, so it does a better job of
capturing it.
https://goo.gl/photos/y58gYXe7A34wTVzd7
... I think I've got a couple others from another camera."
"I want to trek down to SB or somewhere closer for one of the
launches at some point, but I will probably also try and view from
Loma Prieta again, since that was fairly successful.."
Craig F.
Santa Cruz Mountains
"I viewed the launch from Santa Cruz Mountains between Los Gatos and
Santa Cruz, 185 miles northwest of Vandenberg from about 2600 ft above
sea level. Viewing conditions were not great with low broken clouds."
"...I got a brief look at it right after launch then it came and went
through holes in the clouds.
I also viewed it through binoculars. Because viewing was so
intermittent I did not see the staging. The flame looked quite
orange at the beginning. At my distance its hard to say if it was the
rocket or the atmosphere that gave it that color.
I did observe quite a large bell shaped plume as it appeared through
an opening in the clouds."
Craig R.
Marina del Rey
"I observed the launch from the roof of a parking structure in Marina
del Rey. I didn't attempt to take pictures. There was interference
from coastal clouds, so I missed a few seconds of the initial ascent.
I tracked the vehicle across my western sky, then lost track of it,
probably right after MECO.
I saw a beautiful orange/red candle. I was observing with binoculars,
and the flame was very visible, both in color and length. I didn't
see it broaden out before MECO the way I expected, but that might
have been due to the clouds."
Dan S.
Encinitas
"I saw the launch.
I went outside my home (Encinitas, North San Diego County, about a
mile from the Ocean, on a hilltop with clear views) specifically to
see the launch. The sky was very clear with tiny patches of see-
through thin clouds. A thin-crescent moon was out, but in the
opposite direction. Stars were clearly visible (as clearly as can be
in suburbia with street lighting and 30 miles from a major
metropolis).
My first glimpse of the rocket was in a Northwest direction. It had
the brightness of a bright star, but not the brightest in the sky.
It had a bit of a defused light, as if out of focus (as opposed to
other stars that were in sharp focus in the clear skies). It was
rising rapidly and arcing southward -- going from Northwest of myself,
to West, to Southwest, to South; fairly high in the sky.
Initially, after I saw it, it was getting progressively dimmer. At
some point I could no longer see it, but others with me say they were
still able to see it (my eyesight is not great with dim lights --
when I go watching meteor showers, about 20% of the trajectories that
others see I do not, even when looking directly at them). However,
after some seconds (10?), as it was receding Southward it became
brighter again (could be because I was now looking directly at the
fiery tail rather than the side), eventually becoming the brightest
star in the sky.
When the rocket was near the highest point in the sky (maybe 60 deg
up, in a Southwest direction from myself), I saw what I think was the
separation event. The rocket became three super-bright spots (each
easily outshining all other stars in the sky), initially equally
spaced, moving in the same direction, with the distance between them
gradually increasing. It was bright enough that I imagined I could
see a plume (long and thin, incorporating all three spots); but, to
be honest, I'm not sure if it was really there of if my mind was
creating the image I thought should be there (it could also have been
an after-image, given how bright the spots were relative to the very
black Westerly predawn skies).
As all three continued Southward, they became dimmer again (and the
apparent angular speed slowed) until I was no longer sure if I am
seeing the rocket or background stars.
Color: There was no way I could tell. It looked like a star (except
that it was moving)."
Ed K.
Hawthorne
"I saw it from Hawthorne and he was a little hazy near the ground.
Beautiful orange plume then it streamed across the sky as a small dot.
After it traversed to about mid-height. I could see the large plume
radiating out from it. Then I could tell that it had separated and it
looked like it may have been two or three parts trailing along
together.
Eric R.
Santee
"I viewed Thursday's launch from Santee, CA (92071), just East of San
Diego. It came into view from the Northwest 2-3 minutes after launch,
intermittently obscured by clouds. This rocket appeared much higher in
the sky (and brighter) than the few other Vandenberg launches I have
observed from the same location.
It was mostly visible as a very bright point of light, but when it was
to the West at maybe a 45 degree altitude, the exhaust briefly took on
a large cone-shaped appearance.
As it moved to the South, the single point appeared to diverge into
three or four separate points which continued moving together in the
same direction until they very gradually faded out."
Frank L.
San Marcos
"I saw the launch from San Marcos, CA. The early and middle portion
was fairly hidden by thin clouds, but the latter portion was pretty
spectacular as it separated into what appeared to be four distinct
satellites heading into orbit. I could see it well to the southeast of
my location before it disappeared."
G. H.
West Hills
"I was able to get my little boys outside in time to see the light
from a rocket launch for the first time, and they were so thrilled to
see this Atlas V launch. We watched it blast off via nasa tv then ran
outside where we were able to see the first stage separation. One of
these days we will drive to the Vandenberg area for a closer look."
"As for what we saw, after it cleared some cloud cover we it as a fast
moving red/orange light then we saw the conical shape from the 1st
stage separation. After that it was just small dot moving southeast
away from us."
Glenn B.
Isla Vista
"The launch earlier this week was clearly visible from coal oil point
in Isla Vista, in spite of patchy layers of clouds in the area. I
took a long exposure, viewable at this link:
https://flic.kr/p/yCdHDj
Thanks for keeping folks up to date on launches, as always."
Jim P.
Thousand Oaks
"We did not see it because of overcast, but in Thousand Oaks, it woke
us up at 5:59 AM Thursday by rattling our windows with a double boom."
John S.
Vandenberg AFB
"Color of the burn was bright white and appeared round to me, never
really saw a plume"
Kirk H.
Newport Beach
"I was in Newport Beach, California. I knew about the Atlas V launch
from the email, so I was expecting it.
When I arrived at work it was just 5:49 AM. My parking lot faces the
west and it was still dark outside. I stood in the parking lot looking
West by Nortwest. 30 seconds to a minute later I saw the rocket for
the first time, ascending from the north to the south.
At this point it was just a small red glow from the rockets. When it
reached the 12 o'clock position the Atlas V became obscured by a cloud.
Sometime at this point the rocket separation took place.
When the rocket reappeared you could clearly see two distinct object
heading in the current southerly direction. The smaller of the two
objects continued on in the previous direction. While the larger of the
two (first stage boosters) seemed to veer of to the right.
After several minutes into the flight both object faded from view."
Lee J.
Claremont
"Location is very eastern edge of Los Angeles county, in Claremont
(north of Pomona & Ontario). I've seen several launches, so I know
exactly where to look.
Simple report -- visibility sucked due to haze/clouds.
Band of fairly heavy clouds near the western horizon. Band of thinner
cloud higher up (20-30 deg); I could see 1 star in the north end of
this area. Another bank of heavier clouds above that.
I monitored launch status by watching SpaceFlightNow.Com.
Nothing visible with naked eye. Scanned sky with 10x50 binoculars; I
was surprized when I picked up a fast moving semi-bright dot
surrounded by a very small glowing patch in the area of thinner cloud.
I lost sight of the Atlas 5 rocket engine after maybe 10 seconds
when it flew up into the heavier, higher clouds."
Lee T.
Grover Beach
"I saw the launch from my house in Grover Beach, about 50 road miles
from the SLC, only 1/4 mile from the ocean. I had planned to go to the
Pismo Pier for photos as it's a straight unobstructed view to the
ridgeline of the Guadalupe dunes and have been able to get good views
of the vapor trails in the past. Unfortunately there was a visible
haze and a fog layer in the air (figures!) so I stayed home thinking
it would be washed out. I was right about that as far as the latter
portion of the flight - I couldn't tell where the fog layer was,
closer to me or to VAFB, but once it was in the fog it faded quickly.
I could barely see the orange burn, especially after it turned south
and away.
But the initial part was fantastic. When the engines lit there was
several seconds of orange reflection against the overhanging mist for
quite a distance horizontally, maybe 300-400 ft. above where I
estimated the pad to be behind the ridgeline. As the vehicle rose to
where I could see the exhaust flame, it seemed to rise slower
compared to, say, a Delta II, and the intensity of the plume was
impressive. It was so bright I found myself squinting, something I
didn't expect at 50 miles. The morning was still pretty dark so I
didn't see any trail or side-blow exhaust from the pad (not really
expected because of liquid fuel), and no reflection from the rising
sun at any point because of the misty atmosphere. The flame had a
definite upside-down candle flame shape. After about 15 seconds came
the muffled roar which lasted about 30 seconds. That was also
unexpected - usually at this distance we don't hear much if anything,
and have never heard sound from the SLC 6 launches."
Matt A.
Manhattan Beach
"I observed the launch from the Manhattan Beach Pier. There was a lot
of cloud cover so the rocket was not very visible."
M.C.
Lemon Grove
"The launch was visible to the naked eye from Lemon Grove, CA (a
suburb east of San Diego). My 5 year old son [ ] and my 9 year old
nephew [ ] watched the launch with me. We watched the liftoff on
the ULA webcast and soon after launch saw the rocket shortly before it
passed almost due east of our position. When it rose into the sunlight
it was very easy to see, although it was visible before that. We
tracked the rocket for what seemed like several minutes and were able
to clearly see the first stage separation as it passed to the South-
southwest. [ ] climbed on top of a railing and said that he could
still see it for several minutes after the separation."
Michael G.
Westlake Village
"In response to your request for observations of last week's launch, I
saw it from Westlake Village CA. Although the sky was cloudy, it
appeared as an orange ball travelling at a fast pace. As it reached
its highest point I saw a bright flash, presumably the stage release.
Very exciting...looking forward to the next one."
Paul A.
Thousand Oaks
"Unfortunately once it hit those clouds, it had pretty much
disappeared from my vantage point in Thousand Oaks."
Rick R.
Palo Alto
"Launches are usually visible from Palo Alto if skies are clear. No
such luck this morning at 05:49. However by 06:15 the sky had cleared
sufficiently to see sunlight on the residual exhaust trail."
Russ S.
Mira Mesa
"I observed from San Diego (Mira Mesa, 3 miles North of Miramar MCAS)
I only saw the last 10 seconds, or so, of the 1st stage flight --
after it had climbed into the dawn light. The incandescent bit of the
exhaust was at around 1st or 2nd magnitude, and orangeish. The plume's
color was not terribly distinct. I'd say it was white or grayish, and
perhaps 1 degree across, with no distinguishable trail -- just the
usual foreshortened hemispherical shape, seen from below.
At cut-off, there was nothing to see, and then a few seconds later,
there was a brief resumption of the exhaust bloom as the retro rockets
kicked the 1st stage away from the Centaur. There was nothing visible
from here after that."
Tony L.
San Carlos, CA
"During this morning's Atlas/Centaur launch, I observed something
different from my vantage point just south of San Francisco.
After a spectacular diamond ring, which extended the angular diameter
of a full moon, I saw four bright points of light travelling together.
The upper point was the Centaur, the lowest point was the Atlas
booster reflecting in the sun, and the two flashing dots in the middle
must have been the tumbling halves of the nose cone, which I'm told is
4 meters in diameter.
After the diamond ring, the entire scene went dark for a few seconds.
Then Centaur lit up; for a few seconds, it was the only visible
object. Then the three objects following Centaur lit up - at first I
thought they were the Atlas booster still flaming, but it quickly
became apparent that they were reflecting the Sun's light - and there
were 3 of them! So it took about 5 minutes for the Atlas 5 stack to
make it into sunlight.
All four points travelled together (my vantage point is almost
directly behind them) until they curved the Earth and sank into the
southern horizon.
I'm now starting to see a bright noctilucent cloud to the south, at
6:15 am, that sure looks like the contrail lighting up in the dawn."
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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
' Foot
CA California
deg Degrees
ft Feet
LAX Los Angeles International Airport
MCAS Marine Corps Air Station
MECO Main engine cutoff
PDT Pacific Daylight Time
PST Pacific Standard Time
SB Santa Barbara
SLC Space Launch Complex
ULA United Launch Alliance
VAFB Vandenberg AFB
WSW West-southwest
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Copyright 2015, Brian Webb. All rights reserved. No portion of this
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