Missile Defense Test Carried Out in California

VAFB launches 3-stage booster

8/17/03

By NORA K. WALLACE

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A key part of the Pentagon’s missile defense program
streaked across clear blue skies Saturday morning from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, leaving a billowing white
contrail in its wake.

The Orbital Sciences Corp. booster blasted out of a
silo on the north base at 11 a.m., while close to 100
spectators watched from several miles away.

The three-stage booster is a prototype for an eventual
ground-based interceptor that will be installed at
Vandenberg and in Alaska. The missile defense shield —
set to be in place by the end of next year — is being
designed to protect the U.S. from incoming long-range
ballistic missiles.

The booster flew over the Pacific Ocean, reaching an
altitude of about 1,165 miles and traveling about 3,300
miles away from the base. Unlike previous tests of the
missile program, this launch did not include an
interception by another unarmed missile.

Orbital spokesman Barron Beneski said Saturday
afternoon the company is still checking data from the
launch.
"From what we can tell, all mission objectives were
achieved," he said. "It looked like a good launch."
The Missile Defense Agency is evaluating two types of
boosters for the program’s final stages: one by Orbital
and another by Lockheed Martin. The prime contractor,
Boeing Corp., will likely use both systems for the
real-life program, "as long as they perform well,"
explained Rick Lehner, a Missile Defense Agency
spokesman. Lockheed’s version will be flown from
Vandenberg in late September.

Missile defense tests — conducted at Vandenberg since
1999 — are estimated to cost about $100 million each.
"This is a very important test," Mr. Lehner explained.
"This was the first time with this booster
configuration, and we’re very pleased with what we’ve
seen so far."

The booster is stocked with instrumentation, Mr. Lehner
said, which "sends back enormous amounts of data. We’re
separating that, cataloging, and we’ll be doing the
analysis" during the coming weeks.
The launch had been delayed one day because of problems
with the booster’s software, but that didn’t seem to be
a problem Saturday.

Boeing and Orbital employees lined an on-base viewing
stand to observe the launch. As it became clear the
booster had left the silo and was flying skyward,
cheers of "Go baby, go" erupted, and high-fives were
exchanged.

"It was excellent," said Jonathan Pham, a Boeing
employee who watched through binoculars. "So many
people worked so hard. It’s a payoff day. We’re
excited."

Frank Bromley, a Boeing employee at the company’s
Anaheim facility, said he believes in the idea of
missile defense, and "it’s nice to know it’s there to
protect us from what could be coming after us."
This particular launch was designed to provide the
Pentagon with information about the new booster’s
design and flight characteristics, and data about its
guidance, control and propulsion systems.

Both the Orbital and Lockheed Martin boosters will be
involved in flight tests in the fall from the Kwajalein
Missile Range in the Marshall Islands. Those tests will
include a simulated interception of a target, to see
how the boosters perform.

Last February, Orbital tested another prototype
booster, dubbed "Pegasus Lite," as part of defense
program. Previously, the missile agency used modified
Minuteman 2 intercontinental ballistic missiles
carrying decoys and mock warheads during tests. The
Minutemans were launched toward interceptor missiles,
which are supposed to ignore the decoys and blow the
Vandenberg missile out of the sky.

Orbital’s contract with Boeing, through 2007, is worth
approximately $450 million. The company is developing,
building and testing its interceptor boosters. The
contract includes building and delivering five boosters
to Ft. Greely, Alaska by the end of next year. Ft.
Greely and Vandenberg will each have live interceptor
missiles if the Bush administration program continues.

© Copyright 2003 Santa Barbara News-Press

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(submitted by Sheila Baker)