California launch could produce dazzling sky show (tonight)(freeper pics!)

Space Flight Now ^ | SEPTEMBER 22, 2005

[Squantos]

Yep ........ZERO light pollution to foul up the star's , man made or not !

Did a year on Rat Namur, ask yer dad if he remembers that little rock there ?

Stay safe !

[GVnana]

Sad to say Dad has passed, but he had lots of Kwajalien stories!

[sam_paine]

Wow! Welcome to FR, from a Christian Texas Electrical Engineer gun owner that's not gay either! ;-)

[TailspinJim]

09-25-05 11.38 PM EDT Just watched the launch of a GPS satelite from Cape Canaveral, FL from my location in Melbourne. It was nearly out of sight when I could hear the roar, which lasted for a few minutes. Scattered clouds w/ good visibility. Nice shot!

[CodeToad]

"Did a year on Rat Namur"


What year? Spent 3 across the hall.

[AppyPappy]

Don't listen to Cyn. This place is practically a chatroom most of the time.

[El Gato]

Hah! I was at Vandenberg, and didn't see a blessed thing. Fog rolled in off the ocean and laid down a nice thick marine layer.

Happens all the time there. When I was there in '71 (yes '71) for AF ROTC field training there were at least 3 shots in the six weeks were there that we couldn't see because of the fog. One nice Minuteman and one nice Titan II shot (both from silos) that we did get to see, although my flight had just gotten off the helicopters and were farther away from the Minuteman than the other 7 flights. As compensation, we got to skip PT the next morning so as to watch a shot from fairly close up. Fog obscured that one too, for us, the other flights got a great view while they were at the track doing their morning PT. We also "got" to get up early for the privilege of seeing a little glow in the fog.

I was there again in '75, and got some nice guided tours of Minuteman LFs. Also got chased out of the Titan complex, because we didn't realize they had a live bird in the hole. (Titan was a very dangerous beast once fueled.)

[kenth]

"as I have lost my patience with Lucianne's staff."

What're they doing now? I left for good a few years ago due to their inability to restrain certain overzealous elements. I'll leave my comment at that.

[BoneHead]

It was a cool launch! And those of you shutout by fog have another opportunity "Monday October 3rd!"

Follow the link and scroll down to see that there will be a launch at 2200 - 0000 GMT 1800 - 2000 EDT. I think that would be 1500-1700 PDST, Yes?

Another node for Karl Rove indeed...

And yet another launch TBD October 19th. Plan your sunset observations.

[heleny]

Oct. 3 Delta 4 • NRO L-22
Launch period: 2200-0000 GMT (6-8 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Yes, that would be 3-5 P.M. PDT, which is long before sunset. It probably won't produce anything spectacular to see here in CA, because the sky will still be so bright. But, thanks for the link. It looks interesting.

[BoneHead]

This just in October 3 launch scrubbed. Check the Status

[aruanan]

That was sweet! The contrail was very brightly illuminated (still is) and it was easy to follow the rocket. The stage separation was spectacular. Thanks for posting.

I once saw an early evening launch from Cape Canaveral of a three stage rocket. The east was already quite dark, a deep blue. The sun had just set. The con trail was a brilliant white. Both of the stage separations looked like hyperbolic cones of the same brilliant white. It was one of the coolest launches I have ever seen. And I saw it by just happening to look over toward the east.

[hedgetrimmer]

BTTT