Alaska Aerospace takes some solace in knowing the rocket left the ground

[unhappycamper]

http://www.adn.com/article/20140828/alaska-aerospace-takes-some-solace-knowing-rocket-left-ground

?itok=RUViCWoJ

Damage is visible at the Kodiak Launch Complex after a rocket launch was aborted early Monday morning, August 25, 2014, at the site. The rocket was carrying an Advanced Hypersonic Weapon, a glider that once launched from a rocket flies a non-ballistic trajectory to its target. The flight was terminated less than four seconds after the launch. The launch was controlled remotely -- no people were in the buildings shown in the photo at the time of the launch.

Alaska Aerospace takes some solace in knowing the rocket left the ground
Dermot Cole
August 28, 2014

With no answers yet about why a rocket launch failed in Kodiak, leaders of the Alaska Aerospace Corp. find themselves wrestling with the tricky question of public relations damage control.

At a board meeting Thursday in Kodiak, they discussed whether the state-owned corporation could make any statement that the accident early Monday was not its fault.

~snip~

But some members said it would be correct to say that the rocket left the launchpad. And to that extent the support role of the Alaska Aerospace Corp. can be dubbed a success, pending any disclosures to the contrary in the weeks and months ahead.

Calling the four-second flight a success borders on “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?” but board members said a statement crafted with care is in order.

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The vehicle they tried to launch was more than likely some variation of the "Rods From God" concept: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment