IQ TopShot: Night light
Test launch off the California coast
March 29, 2021 in Innovation, Defense
Minuteman III missile test launch from the California coast
PHOTOGRAPHER: Christopher Okula, U.S. Space Force
DATE: Feb. 23, 2021
TIME: 11:49 p.m. PST
PLACE: From Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, toward the Pacific Ocean
EVENT: First Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch of 2021
U.S. Space Force scientific photographer Christopher Okula was 4,400 feet (1,341 meters) from the launch facility and opened the shutter on his camera five seconds into the flight (to counter overexposure at liftoff) for 104 seconds.
“A Minuteman III begins its flight with a sudden and tremendous roar,” he said. “If I had to compare it to anything else on earth, I’d say it sounds most like a rushing waterfall being poured directly into your ear. The roar fades as the missile climbs, and the silence that grows around you leaves you feeling awestruck and alone.”
MINUTEMAN III BY THE NUMBERS:
- Weight: 79,432 lbs. (36,030 kg)
- Top speed: 15,000 mph (24,140 kph)
- Maximum range: >6,000 mi. (>9,600 km)
