BajaNomad

Rocket launch 1308 today (1/20/11) Vandenburg

Taco de Baja - 1-20-2011 at 12:57 PM

If you are in the So Cal / North Baja area look to the north at 1:08 today. A huge rocket is planned to be going straight up.
Quote:
From Florida Today: A Delta IV Heavy rocket today is poised to become the largest rocket ever to blast off from the West Coast

Launch of a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite into a polar orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is set for 4:08 p.m. EST (1:08 p.m. local time).

The rocket will blast off with nearly 2 million pounds of thrust, making it the second-most powerful liquid-fueled U.S. rocket after the shuttle.


link

David K - 1-20-2011 at 01:42 PM

"The rocket will blast off with nearly 2 million pounds of thrust, making it the second-most powerful liquid-fueled U.S. rocket after the shuttle."

Way cool... I hope I can see it well from Oceanside... Have camera!

Taco de Baja - 1-20-2011 at 02:26 PM

Probably not visible in Baja.....

From John Wayne Airport:

vandenberg.JPG - 19kB

Oggie - 1-20-2011 at 03:04 PM

From Carlsbad Beach

David K - 1-20-2011 at 03:10 PM

I watched it as it headed south along the Baja coast... or maybe it was 1,000 miles out to sea?...

I took 26 shots as it slowling crossed from north to south... here they are, un-edited... (13 at a time)















It gets bigger...

David K - 1-20-2011 at 03:14 PM















ADIOS!

sanquintinsince73 - 1-20-2011 at 03:51 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9tkPQunM0c

Oggie - 1-20-2011 at 04:33 PM

Dk,

I also took many shots of that contrail only to find out after blowing it up, it is a jet that was just there at the time of the launch.



[Edited on 1-20-2011 by Oggie]

David K - 1-20-2011 at 05:37 PM

You think that is what I saw... bummer!?

My blow ups (in the camera) don't show that..., I checked to see if I could see the source, strange! I have seen other launches... usually late in the afternoon and they headed the same direction as this contrail... but I did expect it to vanish into space rather than follow the coast?

My camera clock (not sure if it is accurate) said the photos were taken between 1:12 and 1:20... starting 3-4 minutes after launch... and I am 200 miles downwind from Vandenberg... so it came into view right where I expected it to, and close to when.

I also don't know of ever seeing jets flying that high heading to Mexico... Unless it was a San Francisco to Acapulco jet? :?:

Thanks!

Bajamatic - 1-20-2011 at 05:42 PM

Maybe it was woody en route to his secret universe