LAUNCH ALERT Brian Webb
[email protected] www.spacearchive.info 2017 September 19 (Tuesday) 19:46 PDT
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THURSDAY VANDENBERG LAUNCH
An Atlas V rocket carrying a classified payload is scheduled for
launch from south Vandenberg AFB this Thursday evening at 22:38 PDT.
Following lift-off, the rocket will climb vertically for several
seconds before it begins a gradual turn and heads over the ocean. If
the launch is successful, the Atlas will place the NROL-42 payload
into orbit for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
Weather permitting, the launch could be visible as far away as San
Francisco, Mammoth, and San Diego, Calif.
People in very quiet locations in coastal Santa Barbara and Ventura
Counties and the western Santa Monica mountains may hear a distant,
muffled rumble or perhaps a sonic boom from the launch some time
between T+4 and T+12 minutes.
Members of the public desiring a close-up view of the launch will
probably congregate west of Lompoc in the vicinity of highway 246
(west Ocean Avenue) and Union Sugar Road. However, since this area is
near the coast, there is a possibility that the liftoff will be hidden
by low clouds or fog.
Regardless of where you plan to go to view the launch, allow yourself
enough time to get there well before liftoff. After you arrive, be
aware of your surroundings and possible hazards such as traffic.
For launch status and countdown information, go to:
spaceflightnow.com
www.ula.comFor information on viewing Vandenberg rocket and missile launches, go
to:
www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htmDuring a launch earlier this year, Pete Heins, N6ZE, discovered the
countdown feed was delayed by approximately 75 seconds. Rather than
relying on a feed for launch cueing, use a GPS receiver or another
source to obtain the exact time. You can also set your watch to the
exact time from the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(
www.nist.gov).
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SECURITY POLICY
Launch Alert does not intentionally publish sensitive, potentially
sensitive, or inside information. All information comes from open
sources or is approved for public release.
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TIME FORMAT
All times in this newsletter are given in Pacific Time using a 24-hour
format based on military time. Under this system, regular time is
expressed as follows:
24-hour
Regular Time Format
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12:00 a.m. (midnight) 00:00
6:00 a.m. 06:00
12:00 p.m. (noon) 12:00
6:00 p.m. 18:00
No distinction is made between Pacific Standard Time and Pacific
Daylight Time.
For assistance in converting military time to regular time, go to:
www.spacearchive.info/military.htm----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2017, Brian Webb. All rights reserved. No portion of this
newsletter may be used without identifying Launch Alert as the
source and providing a functioning hyperlink or text that point to
http://www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm.