An unarmed Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully launched today at 1:01 a.m. PDT (0801 GMT) from a launch facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

This launch was a combined effort by the men and women of the 30th Space Wing and 576th Flight Test Squadron here and the 90th Space Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. Col. Frank Wolf, 30th Space Wing vice-commander, was the spacelift commander, or final go-for-launch authority, for this mission. As launch director, Capt. Glenn Snow, 576th FLTS, was responsible for the overall test management.

Today's Peacekeeper carried 8 unarmed re-entry vehicles approximately 4,800 miles to a predetermined target at the Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll. A small contingent from Vandenberg was at Kwajalein to see the impact.

The launch was a part of the Force Development Evaluation program, which verifies the accuracy and reliability of the Peacekeeper force. Vandenberg conducted its first operational test of the Peacekeeper weapon system June 17, 1983.