...but things like this are rare and a very spectacular sight to see.
Should be easily visible all over the bay area.
-----Original Message-----
Subject: [Launch Alert] Vandenberg Dusk Launch
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
Ventura County, California
E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info
2005 September 20 (Tuesday)
04:36 PDT
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VANDENBERG DUSK LAUNCH
The first Vandenberg AFB dusk launch in nearly three years is slated for
Thursday, September 22. The Minotaur booster is scheduled to lift- off
from south Vandenberg at 19:24 PDT, the start of a 16-minute launch
window.
Several minutes later, the rocket will place the Defense Advanced
Research Project Agency's Streak satellite into a polar orbit.
As seen from Santa Barbara, lift-off occurs 29 minutes after sunset.
The Minotaur is expected to climb into sunlight during the second stage
burn at about T+90 seconds. The exhaust plume will be illuminated by the
sun and may create a nice display visible across a large part of the
Southwest and western Mexico.
The launch may be visible until nearly T+13 minutes. For information on
launch viewing and photography, refer to:
www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm
www.spacearchive.info/vafbphoto.htm
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MINOTAUR LAUNCH SCHEDULED
Vandenberg AFB News Release
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Team Vandenberg is set to launch a
Minotaur rocket Thursday from Space Launch Complex-8 on South
Vandenberg. The launch period is from 7:24 to 7:40 p.m. The rocket will
launch the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Streak
spacecraft.
30th Space Wing Commander Col. Jack Weinstein will be the spacelift
commander, or final "go for launch" authority, for Thursday's launch.
The Minotaur rocket is a ground-based variant of the Orbital Sciences
Corp. air-launched Pegasus rocket. It is capable of launching up to
3,000 pounds into a low-Earth orbit and up to 800 pounds into
geosynchronous transfer orbit.
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LAST PEACEKEEPER
It's now safe to assume that the last scheduled Peacekeeper ICBM test
launch is not going to happen. Known as Glory Trip 34PA, the launch was
scheduled to occur from Vandenberg AFB earlier this year. It was
apparently delayed so long that the test was no longer needed.
The launch was intended to test the reliability and accuracy of the
Peacekeeper. However, the Air Force had a ceremony yesterday to mark the
retirement of the Peacekeeper from the U.S. land-based ICBM force.
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ROCKET WATCHER PASSES ON
The Editor was informed last week of the death of Launch Alert
subscriber Daniel Bent. He was a launch enthusiast and an amateur radio
operator (callsign KF6IQL).
His brother Ben wrote "Once we traveled to Vandenberg to watch a launch
but unfortunately it was scrubbed. Dan and I had planed to try again
real soon but I guess he's going to have a better view than me this
time."
Daniel died September 12th from a heart attack.
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Copyright (c) 2005 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
be distributed in its entirety without restriction. Excerpts may be not
be reprinted or posted elsewhere without prior permission.
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