These photos below were taken 116 miles from Vandenberg AFB in the Lake Castaic area northwest of Los Angeles.
T-0 was at 1:53am PDT and this photo was shot with a Canon 20D at 45mm
focal length.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from North Vandenberg Wednesday at 1:53 a.m.
The mission tested the reliability and accuracy of the weapon system. The launch was a team effort by members of the 30th Space Wing and the 576th Flight Test Squadron here and the 91st Space Wing from Minot AFB, N.D. The task force from the 91st Space Wing, led by Capt. Carl Bottolfson, launched the missile under the direction of the 576th FLTS. Capt. Rod Smith, 576th FLTS, was the launch director.
The mission director was Lt. Col. S. L. Davis, 576 FLTS commander. The spacelift commander was Col. Jack Weinstein, 30th Space Wing commander.
“Each launch requires a tremendous amount of teamwork and I couldn’t be prouder of how everyone performed,” said Colonel Weinstein.
Members of the 576th FLTS performed maintenance activities to include missile emplacement and installation of unique missile tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems to collect test data and meet safety requirements. Missile combat crewmembers deployed to Vandenberg from the 91st Space Wing and issue the final execute launch command.
“The Western Range and Vandenberg are national assets critical to verifying the capability of the deployed ICBM force that remains on-alert at bases in North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming," said Colonel Davis. "The data we collect from each operational test launch allows the 576th FLTS to verify, validate, and ultimately improve that capability which, in turn helps to maintain global stability."
The missile’s two unarmed re-entry vehicles traveled approximately 4,200 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting pre-determined targets at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the western chain of the Marshall Islands.
Designated Glory Trip 187-1, this operational test launch continues a long history of Western Range launches used to verify, validate and improve the capability of the nation’s ICBM force--a key component to continued global stability.
"A tremendous amount of work from the 91st Space Wing, the 30th Space Wing, and the Space Warfare Center, went into this launch. We now turn our attention to launching our fourth and final MM III of the year next week," said Colonel Davis.
In addition to the Minuteman III launches, Vandenberg is preparing to launch several space missions over the next couple of months, including the last Titan IV mission.
“We’ve entered a very busy launch period at Vandenberg,” said Colonel Weinstein. “We’ve got several important, even historic, launches over the next few months. These missions are vital to our national security and I know there isn’t a more exciting place to work in the world.”
Below are links to previous Minuteman launches
Minuteman II
Launch from Vandenberg AFB 10-14-2002
Minuteman III launch test
on 09-19-2002
Minuteman II launch Intercept test on 03-15-2002
Minuteman II launch Intercept test on 07-14-2001
Minuteman II launch on 07-07-2002