Atlas II / NRO Launch

From: Brian Webb (102670.1206@compuserve.com)
Date: Thu Sep 06 2001 - 21:50:56 EDT


		   
	     ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
				  
			 Brian Webb, KD6NRP
		     Ventura County, California
		  E-mail: 102670.1206@compuserve.com
	      Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp
				       
				 2001 September 6 (Thursday) 18:45 PDT
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		       Saturday Missile Launch 
				  
An Atlas II AS booster is slated to launch a classified payload this
Saturday morning from Vandenberg AFB. The Atlas is scheduled to leave
Space Launch Complex-3 East at 08:24 PDT, the start of a 12-minute
launch window.

The vehicle will climb vertically for several seconds and then begin
heading southward down the Western Test Range. Several minutes later
its classified National Reconnaissance Office payload will be inserted
into a polar orbit.

Weather permitting, the launch should be visible in the Santa Barbara
area and within a 50 mile radius of the launch pad. A low cloud layer
extending up to 3,000 feet will probably be present along coast at
launch time. The higher coastal mountains in Santa Barbara County will
provide the best views of this event.

Countdown status will be available on Saturday morning from the
Spaceflight Now web site at http://www.spaceflightnow.com and the
Vandenberg Launch Net on the 147.000 MHz Santa Barbara amateur radio
repeater.
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			   Launch Excursion

I'm planning on viewing Saturday's launch from the mountains north of
Santa Barbara. If you're interested in joining me, send me an e-mail
with your home telephone number.
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			  Web Site Problems

Be advised that my Rawhide Space Page II web site is operational, but
I have been unable to update it since early last week. This problem
should be resolved by next Wednesday.

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