Posted on 03/11/2008 9:26:45 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The Atlas 5 rocket’s planned Thursday liftoff cleared a final hurdle during a routine pre-launch review today at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Officials confirmed the mission is targeting departure at 3:02 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-3 on South Base. While the window remains classified, the launch could occur anytime before 4 a.m., according to officials.
The West Coast’s first Atlas 5 rocket will carry a top-secret satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- This Atlas V (411) stands
on SLC-3E before its launch from Vandenberg, set for later this week.
It will carry a National Reconnaissance Office payload and
be the first Altas V to launch from the west coast.
(Courtesy photo) http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/photos/
You wouldn’t happen to know which direction it’s traveling? North or South along the coast? I know it’s going up...
for when W slaps Iran this spring like a bastard stepchild!
Vandenberg prepares for first Atlas V launch
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123084798
not sure, probably North.. they launched 2 Delta IVs out of there in 2006, I’ll dig up one of the threads.. should be a similar trajectory
“”You wouldn’t happen to know which direction it’s traveling? North or South along the coast? I know it’s going up...””
As far as I can recall, all launches from VAFB go south, because they go out over the ocean in that direction. North would put the Bay Area and most of the West Coast into the potential impact zone if the thing doesn’t go right. It’s really too bad that they never got a chance to launch the Shuttle from there.
Usually South to Southwest.
Was it Atlas V or Saturn V that took Apollo toward the moon?
Saturn V.
I looked up past launches and it looks like they head south. I now remember seeing the contrails over SoCal. Too bad we live in Nor Cal now.
South
I see that, Cool. I wish it flew North. ;-)
found 2 old threads for launches from Vandenberg, weather delay on first attempt in June 2006
Possible amazing Light Show (Vandenberg AFB Delta IV Launch Tuesday — update, 8:14PM PDT)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655570/posts
Vandenberg AFB Delta IV launch visible tonight. (8:14PM PST)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1656862/posts
Down here in San Diego you can on accasion see the contrails on some of the launches going down range.
Here’s a web site with some good info
http://www.spacearchive.info/index.htm
flight trajectories, viewing areas etc, for launches from Vandenberg
http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm
I've been to SLC-3, as well as seen SLC-6 and the original Atlas sites on main base. (also some old "coffin" type launchers which are probably long gone. First rocket I saw launched was an Atlas from those original pads, which had been operational pads, carrying nuclear warheads, way back when Khrushchev visited Disneyland, and his train took him close enough to see 'em standing there.
THOUGHT SO.
Thanks much.
Thanks NR
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