To all - it is possible that I am the only person who did not know (until a few minutes ago) that a rocket launch blew up this morning, but in case anyone else wants to read about it now, here's the story.
(I guess not just GSTRF launches are unpredictable).
August 12, 1998
Air Force Rocket Explodes in Fla.
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Filed at 12:56 p.m. EDT
By The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- An Air Force rocket carrying a military spy
satellite exploded shortly after liftoff today. No one was injured.
The giant Titan 4 rocket began to split apart, without warning, 40 seconds
into flight. Two seconds later, Air Force launch controllers sent destruct
signals.
Debris showered into the Atlantic Ocean four miles below, the bulk of it
landing a half-mile offshore.
''Oh, no,'' the launch commentator muttered as the rocket blew up. ''It
appears that we've had a malfunction of the vehicle.''
The 20-story Titan 4, powered by two solid-fuel boosters similar to those on
NASA's space shuttle, is the largest unmanned rocket in the United States. It
was hoisting a secret satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office that
reportedly cost $1 billion. The loss of the rocket and the cost of the launch
swelled the total loss today by an additional $300 million or more.
The loss of the satellite will not hamper national security, officials noted.
Air Force Brig. Gen. F. Randall Starbuck, who immediately appointed an
investigation board, said salvage efforts likely will begin Thursday. The
chunks of rocket and satellite landed in water that is only 20 to 50 feet deep,
he said.
No workers were evacuated from Cape Canaveral Air Station or NASA's
adjacent Kennedy Space Center following the explosion. But journalists and
Air Force guests viewing the launch from three to four miles away were
rushed onto buses and driven away.
The double boom could be heard miles away, setting off car alarms
throughout the area.
Air Force officials stressed there was no danger to nearby residents. Fumes
from the toxic rocket fuel -- resembling an orange donut -- wafted out to sea
and dispersed within a few hours. Under launch rules, the wind must be
blowing out to sea in order for a Titan 4 to lift off.
All the rocket debris fell into the ocean so there was no property damage,
Starbuck said. He urged residents to stay away from any hunks of metal that
might wash up on shore.
The rocket, built by Lockheed Martin Corp., weighed nearly 2 million pounds
at liftoff.
It should have soared in late July, but was grounded so workers could repair
torn insulation on its upper stage. This morning's launch occurred at 7:30 a.m,
1 1/2 hours late because of fueling problems.
The last time a rocket exploded at Cape Canaveral Air Station was in January
1997, when a Delta blew up 13 seconds into flight. No one was injured, but
the accident, so much earlier in the flight than today's explosion, caused
extensive damage as chunks of debris landed on the pad and nearby Air Force
facilities.
The last time a Titan 4 rocket blew up was at Vandenberg Air Force Base in
California in August 1993.
This was the Air Force's 25th Titan 4 launch since the maiden flight in 1989,
and the second failure. Another Titan 4 isn't scheduled to fly until December.
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