Weather Delays Test Firing of Titan Rocket
A crucial test firing of a Titan-34D solid-fuel rocket was delayed at least a day Wednesday because of erratic winds, Air Force officials said.
“Wind conditions are just not amenable for what we need to have for firing,” said Ranney Adams, a spokesman for the Air Force Flight Test Center here. “Ground winds are proper, but 1,000 feet up, they’re blowing the wrong way . . . that’ll send the exhaust going in two different directions.”
Two back-to-back failures in 1985 and 1986 grounded the Titan-34D program indefinitely. The big rocket is the premier military launcher in the Air Force inventory.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
