What: Unarmed Minuteman III missile 

When: 12:01 a.m. to 5:01 a.m. Wednesday at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The team typically aims for the opening of the launch window, but various issues can cause delays and lead to a different departure time. 

Where: Underground silo, or launch facility, on the North Base

Target: Missile tests usually travel to predetermined targets near the Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, some 4,200 miles southwest of Vandenberg.

Why: To collect data about the three-stage, solid-fueled weapon system’s accuracy and reliability. Vandenberg conducts a few Minuteman tests each year in conjunction with Air Force Global Strike Command.

The Air Force has roughly 400 Minuteman III missiles positioned near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot AFB in North Dakota and F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming. 

Watch: No livestreams occur for missile test launches from Vandenberg. Spectators around the Central Coast may spot the vehicle as it climbs away from Santa Barbara County, taking a southwesterly flight path.

Of course, any sight of the flight will depend upon clear skies and cooperation of the marine layer.