Defense Test Rocket Destroyed After Liftoff
A rocket fired from the Kodiak Launch Complex was destroyed seconds after liftoff when trackers lost communication with it.
It was the first time a rocket used in testing for the missile defense program had to be destroyed after launch, said Col. Rick Lehner, spokesman for the missile defense program in Washington.
The rocket was launched from the complex, operated by the Alaska Aerospace Development Corp., at 9:12 a.m. Friday. It was destroyed 52 seconds later when launch officials lost telemetry data and data transmission, Lehner said.
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