Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Minotaur II+ rocket.
An unarmed test launch is planned for this Thursday morning, July 7 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The launch is the first test supporting the development of the Air Force’s new Mk21A reentry vehicle.
This reentry vehicle will be used for the military's future LGM-35 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile.
According to the Air Force, the Sentinel missile “will not just be a new missile but a fully integrated launch, flight and infrastructure system with modern command and control features."
Both are being developed by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.
