The Missile Launch

This is still the first day (thursday):
you would have loved to have been with us the first day in Kauai!

We got to go onto the Navy base-- we had on our car a sign that said, "Guest of the Commanding Officer". I think Bruce must have called ahead or something. We don't know how we got in. We were ushered to a classified room with dignitaries, and watch the launch of the ICBM for a test. it was amazing. we were in the room in our swimsuits with coverups on, with about 50 dignitaries and guests.
The Admiral's wife was there and the mayor of Kauai, Senator Inouye's Rep, and Riki Ellison (49er super bowl in the 90's) -he said he had been inspired years ago by Ronald Regan and his "star wars" in 1983 and has ever since been a spokesman for the military and missile defense- he is the chairman and founder of the "Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance" (for a great shot from sea, see: http://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/)

We had it all explained to us first by one of the R&D engineers who had developed the missile, then we all ran out to watch the launch of the ARAV ballistic missile target in person, then ran back in to see the video of the target missile actually being hit (3 minutes after launch) and demolished by the interceptor missile 100 miles up in space~! it was amazing. This missile hits the target on its ascent, which is different. As we waited for the launch, they had to push back the launch time by 10 minutes because the space station was flying by up there!

When the missile was intercepted perfectly, everyone clapped...just like in Houston!!
They said this launch would be on CNN and the North Koreans would see it, and Hawaii is now a safer place.
This launch was a part of Regan's dream coming to fruition.

We were waiting to photograph the second test launch outside when one of the officers came up and told us to put away our cameras and to erase anything we had already shot. So we left the base and drove out on the highway to get shots of the launch.

Joy called out "Oh Mister Mayor, Mister Mayor, can we have a picture with you?" (he's a big guy! and very friendly) That's Keiko, out hostess walking behind us.

I don't know if you can see this clearly (all my picts will probably be straight out of camera)
This is the second test missile. If you click on the picture you can see it full-sized.


This is the neat spiral trail the missile makes as it twirls toward its target.
The little trail to the left is a part of the original missile that has separated.
The ship fiiring the intercept missile is about 125 miles out at sea.