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Wednesday morning, sometime between 12:15am and 6:15am, there is a planned launch from North Vandenberg Airforce Base for an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM Missile.
This operational test launch by the Air Force Global Strike Command is to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.
Launches usually occur as close to the earliest possible window as possible, to maximize the window time in case additional time is needed. Weather permitting, this will launch shortly after midnight, and is unlikely to be seen as we are currently experiencing a waning crescent moon with limited light. However, if the launch occurs closer to the sunrise at around 6am tomorrow, you may be able to see the sun reflection off the tail of the rocket– especially if it occurs just before the sunrise– of course, the more north you are located, the clearer the skies, and the later the launch, the better your odds of seeing this event– weather permitting.
