Apologies if someone else has posted about this today, but I only receive the digest version of the messages. A Titan IV-B launch of a NRO spy satellite is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg at 11:04 AM MST tomorrow. Weather permitting (at both ends) this should be visible from all of Arizona and for that matter over a wide area of the southwest U.S. This will not likely be as spectacular as the Minotaur rocket launch was last month, but from probably 1-2 minutes after launch until the engines stop firing the rocket should be visible. This is an historic launch, as this is the very last of the Titan series of some 500 launches (including all of the manned Gemini missions), and the last of the largest remaining rocket in the U.S. inventory. Copied below is an announcement on this launch. See particularly the link http://www.spaceflightnow.com/titan/b26/status.html to check on the status of the launch. Also note that - better late than never - my images of the September 22 Minotaur launch have been posted now on the USGS web site here. See the top item on the Astrogeology photo gallery page at http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Gallery/PhotoGalleries/ . - Brent = = = = = = = = = = LAUNCH ALERT Brian Webb Ventura County, California E-mail: kd6nrp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info 2005 October 18 (Tuesday) 05:51 PDT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY LAUNCH The launch of a Titan IV rocket from Vandenberg AFB appears to be on schedule for Wednesday. As of Monday, the probability that the weather would be within acceptable limits at launch time was 60%. Although this is a daytime launch, it could potentially be visible for over a wide area. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- COUNTDOWN STATUS The best source of countdown status for the Titan IV launch is the Spaceflight Now web site. Space journalist Justin Ray is now providing current countdown status on a web page devoted to this event. Point your browser to: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/titan/b26/status.html On launch day, this page will be updated frequently beginning at about T-1 hour. Be sure to regularly hit the refresh button on your browser to see the latest information. -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please send personal replies to the author, not the list.