On Sept. 16, an Atlas V rocket carrying an imaging satellite is scheduled for launch into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB).
The rocket, which is manufactured by Colorado-based United Launch Alliance (ULA), will contain a WorldView-4 imaging satellite. ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
The satellite is also manufactured by Lockheed Martin and is described as “cutting edge.” It has the highest quality commercially available imaging technology to date, according to DigitalGlobe, the Colorado company that operates the satellite.
Imaging on the satellite’s camera is so accurate that the exact make and model of a car can be detected from its photographs, according to Lockheed Martin.
A launch window opens up at 11:30 a.m. and the rocket is slated for liftoff from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg. The fastest speed of the rocket was estimated to be 17,000 miles per hour during launch, more than seven times faster than the SR-71 Blackbird—the world’s fastest manned aircraft.
The 30th Space Wing at VAFB is responsible for the launch of the rocket. The launch can be viewed from several locations surrounding Vandenberg, however one of the closest spots open to the public is on Azalea Lane, or the “Hawk’s Nest,” a half mile south of the base’s main gate on Highway 1.
This article appears in Sep 15-22, 2016.