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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 31, 2010 - 03:43pm PT
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The Air Force is launching one of these from Vandenberg tonight.
http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm
Look toward Vandenberg ( Point Conception ) at 7:20 tonight. You can see it from hundreds of miles away.
The Delta 2 is the one that exploded on launch, on the "it appears we've had an anomally" mission.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDnkEOKR1BE
I saw a Minotaur 4 go up last month. I didn't know what it was at first, but pretty soon it was obvious it was a rocket. I googled "Vandenberg" and the checked their launch schedule to find out what I had seen.
Pretty cool. Better than fireworks.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Oct 31, 2010 - 04:02pm PT
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I love missile lauches.
When I was in Third Grade we lived at Cocoa Beach, Fl. They used to launch all sorts. The Apollo ones were awesome. We watched them right on the beach. Very cool.
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elcap-pics
Big Wall climber
Crestline CA
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Oct 31, 2010 - 05:02pm PT
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cool... thanks for the update... I can see those launches from the house... I will try to get a shot or two for you guys.
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hooblie
climber
from where the anecdotes roam
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Oct 31, 2010 - 05:09pm PT
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thanks chaz, i heard there was a 1 minute launch window because the satellite needs to hit an exact spot in relation to three others already in place.
i've seen a couple of vandenburg launches from the south rim of the grand canyon. after the sun went below the horizon, the exhaust trail was still high enough to be illuminated.
not saying tonights launch will fit that description given the timeframe,
but if it doesn't go up right on schedule, i'll resume hoobliegobbling
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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Oct 31, 2010 - 05:26pm PT
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Vehicle will launch the COSMO-SkyMed 4 radar Earth-imaging satellite.
Launch window is 1-second in duration. Liftoff probably occurs too long
after sunset for sunlight to illuminate the first stage exhaust plume (in
other words, there will probably not be a Twilight Effect).
http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm
http://www.daylightmap.com/index.php
One time we were camped at Upper Indian Lake 10,400'+ (Mosquito Pass) after scrambling up Mt Henry when they launched one.
We could see it 200 miles away very clearly in the twilight. I kept my mouth shut as others were freaking out. (Kids are so funny)
"Whats that?" "I don't know!" "Its a UFO!" "Aliens! OMG!" "O...M...G!"
"We gotta do something!" "Call the police!"
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nature
climber
Tuscon Again! India! India! Hawaii! LA?!?!
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Oct 31, 2010 - 05:34pm PT
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i think you need to be out there flying your kite.
so what if it gets shot down?
we'll look for this. thanks for the info.....
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Oct 31, 2010 - 06:12pm PT
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It's bound to be a 'stealh' launch, you probably won't be able to see a thing.
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nature
climber
Tuscon Again! India! India! Hawaii! LA?!?!
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Oct 31, 2010 - 10:21pm PT
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I'm in canoga park. which way do I look?
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2010 - 10:22pm PT
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North-west.
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nature
climber
Tuscon Again! India! India! Hawaii! LA?!?!
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Oct 31, 2010 - 10:25pm PT
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Lol! Up?
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hooblie
climber
from where the anecdotes roam
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we're back on for tonight at 7:20 pdt. it was a heater hiccup.
the trick part of trick or treat, for those of us who were
all dressed up and ready for showtime
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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visible from the SF Bay Area?
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2010 - 01:58pm PT
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I'll bet you could see it from the Bay Area. You're not much farther from Vandenberg than I am in Redlands. Unlike satelites, these make their own light.
Look south at 7:20 tonight, and for a few minutes after.
For some reason, 7:20 is their time. It was originally scheduled for 7:20pm on the 29th, then moved back to last night, also for 7:20.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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My dad worked on a few satellite instruments that were launched out of Vandenberg. Couple of times we got to go up inside the base to watch the launch from relatively close. Quite the show.
But still very good on the right evenings from where we lived in Torrance.
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Slakkey
Big Wall climber
From Back to Big Wall Baby
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I have watched a number of these when I lived up in Orange County. They are visible from quite a distance. Living in San Diego have seen a couple from the beach on clear nights as well. Nice weather down here today. Might be worth a look.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Munge, they are visible from the Bay Area. I watched one a few years ago from Sunnyvale.
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Skeptimistic
Mountain climber
La Mancha
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When I was a kid in LA in the 70s, I had a neighbor who was a devout Catholic. Whenever they'd launch one of their missiles at sunset, she would get down on her knees and pray the rosary because she thought it was the 2nd coming! We just laughed at her.
Pretty impressive spectacle (the launch).
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