Minuteman III Launch Wednesday Morning

Rawhide Space Page II ^ | Monday, September 08, 2003 | Brian Webb

[WSGilcrest]

Minuteman III Launch Wednesday Morning
[Source: Brian Webb, Rawhide Space Page II]

A Minuteman III missile is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg AFB early Wednesday morning shortly before dawn. It's expected to be a spectacular view that will be quite different from previous launches that occured near or after sunset.

During past missile launch events the WB6OBB repeaters in Santa Barbara have been used as a launch net giving up to the minute information on the condition of the launch including a count down. Because of the early morning hour it is unsure if this net will be active.

WB6OBB Launch Net Frequencies
147.0 PL 131.8
224.9 PL 131.8
449.3 PL 131.8

Links of Interest
Rawhide Space Page II by Brian Webb
Minuteman III missile launch photos by Tracy Justus
Vandenberg Radio Monitoring by Freq Of Nature

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The 30th Space Wing, the 576th Flight Test Squadron and a task force from the 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D., are scheduled to launch an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile Sept. 10 from North Vandenberg as part of Force Development Evaluation. The launch window is scheduled from 4:31 to 10:31 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Capt. Rob Light, 576th FLTS, will direct launch activities. Mission Director for this launch is Lt. Col. Anthony Blaylock, 576th FLTS commander. Col. Wayne Louis, 30th Space Wing vice commander, will be the spacelift commander, or final go/no go for the launch.

The missile’s three unarmed re-entry vehicles are expected to travel approximately 4,200 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting a pre-determined target at the Kwajalein Missile Range in the western chain of the Marshall Islands.

[Noachian]

I wonder if the North Koreans will be watching this test firing.

[null and void]

From what angle?

[Bobibutu]

As will China and all the rest.

[Optimist]

< < < Deja Vu all over again > > >

CHINESE EMBASSY-KOSOVO

Honest, we didn't mean to hit it. ;-)

[boycott]

Why not test these things over Saudi Arabia?

[Valin]

Closing In
Hunt for Osama bin Laden Narrowed to Hostile, Rugged Region of Pakistan
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/US/sept11_OBL_030908.html

Just a thought

[G Larry]

Ah, the memories......
30 years ago I used to support those operational test flights, of what was then the Mk 12 Re-entry System atop the Minuteman III.
It was then that Russia nearly made a tragic miscalculation to support Egypt vs. Israel. Lucky for all that they backed down.

Former 46350
51st MMS
(later 394th)

[WSGilcrest]

Anyone up? four-o-clock-in-the-FReepin'-morning BUMP!

[null and void]

How was it?

Too cloudy to see from San José...

[WSGilcrest]

Didn't see a thing here in Vallejo. Mostly fog and low cloud. don't even know if they launched.