A Lockheed Martin Titan 4A launcher carrying a classified US military satellite, rumoured to be worth some $1 billion, had to be destroyed only 40s after lift-off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 12 August.
The US Air Force launch ended in a spectacular explosion as the Titan appeared to pitch downwards off the Florida coast before breaking up at an altitude of about 20,000ft (6,000m). The cause of the failure is unknown.
"We saw the pitch and that was the first indication that anything was wrong," says USAF Brig Gen Randy Starbuck. He adds that the next Titan 4B launches are scheduled for December and January, but will depend on the findings of an accident board inquiry.
The launcher was equipped with a Centaur upper stage, and was carrying a Vortex electronic intelligence satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office.
It was the second failure in the Titan 4A programme, which has had 20 successes. The first failure was of a Titan with no upper stage in August 1993. The Titan 4B has flown three successful launches with no failures.
Source: Flight International
