Rocket Falls Into Sea With Cremated Remains
Investigators are trying to determine why a rocket carrying satellites and the cremated remains of 50 people apparently failed after launch and fell into the Indian Ocean.
Satellites owned by Orbital Imaging Inc. and NASA are believed to have fallen back to Earth shortly after the launch Friday morning.
The Taurus rocket briefly veered off course about 83 seconds into the flight, shortly after the first stage separated. The rocket’s correction motors put it back on course, but apparently too much energy had been lost.
The four-stage, ground-launched Taurus had made five successful launches since 1994, putting nine satellites into orbit.
Friday’s failure was the second for an Orbital Sciences Corp. rocket in less than four months.
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