It was launched: It will hit Moscow in 30 minutes PHOTO

The launch took place from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 5 at 23:01 local time.

A US Air Force and Navy team oversaw the launch, which sent an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg toward the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Center in the Marshall Islands southeast of Japan. Like all intercontinental ballistic missiles, the missile entered space and then reentered the Earth's atmosphere.

It is not known how high the Minuteman III flew in this particular test, as the US military rarely releases such data.

However, according to the US Air Force, the Minuteman III has a maximum flight altitude of 1,120 kilometers, which is in the region of low Earth orbit.

By comparison, SpaceX's Starlink satellites orbit at approximately 550 kilometers. The Minuteman III can reach Moscow and Beijing, which are 9,500 and 9,650 kilometers from California, respectively, in 30 minutes. The Boeing-made missile was the world's first MIRV-equipped ICBM and America's first solid-propellant ICBM, according to the National Museum of the US Air Force.

The command to launch the missile was sent from a Boeing E-6B Mercury aircraft operated by the US Navy using the Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS). This system allows ALCS aircrews to launch missiles even if ground control centers are disabled, serving as the "last line of defense," the US Air Force said in a statement. US Space Force leaders praised the test's success and the personnel who made it possible.

"This launch demonstrates the mission readiness, agility and professionalism of the staff at Vandenberg," said Col. Dorian Hatcher, deputy commander of Delta 30 space launches.

"Each test of this deterrent system at Vandenberg underscores the nation's robust capabilities and highlights the essential support our pilots provide to ensure national security," he said.

Although the test was conducted days after North Korea's latest ICBM launch, which reached a record height, a statement from the space force said the test was "the culmination of months of preparation".

The US military tested two more Minuteman III missiles in June 2024, launching them in two days.

Such tests are conducted regularly to deter America's adversaries and ensure the country's nuclear arsenal is reliable and ready to launch.