NATION IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Rocket Destroyed Shortly After Liftoff

A rocket carrying a Japanese broadcasting satellite was destroyed by remote control after it tumbled out of control shortly after liftoff at Cape Canaveral. The failure cost America’s infant commercial space program $100 million. The Air Force sent self-destruct commands to the Atlas rocket about six minutes after the launch. The problem occurred just after the upper stage, called a Centaur, separated from the Atlas booster as planned. Early evidence indicated that only one of the Centaur’s two liquid hydrogen and oxygen engines ignited. Debris fell into the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite on board was to relay TV channels directly to homes in Japan.