NATION : Titan Orbits Military Payload
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — America’s mightiest unmanned space rocket, a Titan 4, blasted off today with a secret military payload.
It was the second launch of a Titan 4. The giant rocket boosted a missile-warning satellite into orbit in June, 1989.
The rocket was launched at 1:22 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, lighting up the sky as it thundered toward orbit.
The Air Force refused to discuss or even acknowledge the flight until about 20 minutes later, when a statement was issued. The payload was not disclosed.
John Pike, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ space policy project, said the rocket’s cargo is probably a $500-million electronic eavesdropping satellite capable of intercepting missile telemetry and radio communications.
A less-likely possibility, Pike said, is that it is a missile-warning satellite.
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