[Launch Alert] Minuteman Launch Scheduled

Sat Feb 15 22:43:06 EST 2025

LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
www.spacearchive.info

2025 February 15 (Saturday) 19:31 PST

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UNARMED MINUTEMAN III TEST LAUNCH TO SHOWCASE READINESS OF U.S. NUCLEAR FORCE'S SAFE, EFFECTIVE DETERRENT

Published Feb. 12, 2025

By Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs

Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. -- An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled between 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time on Feb. 18 to 5:01 a.m. Pacific Time, Feb. 19, from north Vandenberg.

The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.

This test is routine and was scheduled years in advance. Consistent with previous test launches, this ICBM test launch will validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system.

In accordance with standard procedures, the United States will transmit a pre-launch notification pursuant to the Hague Code of Conduct, and notified the Russian government in advance, per our existing bi-lateral obligations.

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ROCKET LAB DELIVERS THIRD IN-ORBIT MANUFACTURING SPACECRAFT FOR VARDA SPACE INDUSTRIES

Long Beach, Calif. February 12, 2024 – Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has delivered another Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries, Inc. (“Varda”) to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in preparation for launch. It’s Rocket Lab’s third Pioneer spacecraft produced for Varda, and the second the Company has delivered for launch within a month.

The spacecraft will support Varda’s next orbital processing and hypersonic reentry mission, W-3. Earlier this month, the Company’s second spacecraft for Varda, W-2, successfully launched and is currently operating on orbit. Carrying payloads from the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA’S Ames Research Center, W-2 will also conduct research to expand the capability and capacity of Varda’s pharmaceutical processing hardware in orbit before it’s hypersonic re-entry and recovery in South Australia.

Like its predecessors, W-3 is based on Rocket Lab’s Pioneer spacecraft, leveraging vertically integrated spacecraft components and subsystems, including spacecraft propulsion, flight software, avionics, reaction wheels, star trackers, separation system, solar panels, radios, composite structures and tanks, and more. The spacecraft will provide power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control for Varda’s 120kg manufacturing capsule, which uses microgravity conditions to develop products that are difficult or impossible to create on Earth.

Once on-orbit production is complete, Rocket Lab and Varda will conduct in-space operations, reentry positioning maneuvers to deorbit, land, and recover Varda’s capsule in Australia at the Koonibba Test Range, operated by Southern Launch.

Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, stated, "Delivering W-3 while W-2 is actively operating in orbit demonstrates our team’s exceptional ability to manage multiple complex missions in parallel. It really highlights the skill of our team and the strength of our integrated spacecraft technologies."

"By increasing the cadence of manufacture, launch, and reentry, we are building the foundation for a thriving orbital economy," said Wendy Shimata, Varda Space Industries Vice President of Autonomous Systems. "Our goal is to decrease the time between missions until it's commonplace for capsules to bring products made in space back to people on Earth.

W-3 is scheduled for launch no earlier than March from VSFB. The fourth and final spacecraft for Varda is currently undergoing final assembly at Rocket Lab’s Spacecraft Production Complex and Headquarters in Long Beach, California.

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SIDUS SPACE ANNOUNCES LIZZIESAT™ HAS ARRIVED AT VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA FOR LAUNCH
Milestone positions LizzieSat™-3 for operational deployment in early 2025, bringing AI- powered advanced data services to critical industries

2025 February 4

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.-- Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) (the "Company" or "Sidus"), an innovative, agile space mission enabler, today announced that LizzieSat™-3 has arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to begin spacecraft integration in preparation for its scheduled launch and deployment into low Earth orbit no earlier than the first quarter of 2025 as part of the Transporter-13 rideshare mission with SpaceX.

"With LizzieSat™-3 ready for launch, we are taking another significant step in expanding our on-orbit capabilities and delivering critical, near real-time data solutions to our customers," said Carol Craig, founder and CEO of Sidus Space. "This milestone demonstrates our commitment to providing scalable, cost-effective solutions tailored to diverse mission needs while showcasing the adaptability of our modular satellite platform."

Equipped with an advanced payload suite, LizzieSat™-3 features an AIS sensor, a high-resolution visual spectrum sensor and the HEO Holmes Imager, which powers HEO Inspect for non-Earth imaging and space object characterization. The satellite also features the next generation of Sidus' proprietary artificial intelligence system, enabling on-orbit data processing that combines multiple sources of data to provide timely, actionable insights for applications such as environmental monitoring, border security and disaster response. Through use of its space-to-space data relay module, Sidus expects to be able to provide rapid direct-to-user data transfer capability and significantly reduce data latency.

Following the successful launch of LizzieSat™-2 on December 21, 2024, which is currently in its commissioning phase, LizzieSat™-3 represents the next step in Sidus Space's commitment to delivering rapid response, flexible and cost-effective solutions tailored to the unique needs of government, defense, intelligence and commercial customers.

Sidus Space

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