Sep 2 1998
From The Space Library
Pentagon officials announced that, on 12 August, a split-second power outage had caused a Titan IV rocket to explode while launching a secret spy satellite into space. A battery powering the guidance system had failed, interrupting the flow of electricity for a fraction of a second. After the restoration of battery power, the guidance control system had sent a command causing the rocket to pitch down and to the right, while traveling at 675 miles (1,100 kilometers) per hour at 17,000 feet (5,200 meters). The rocket had begun to break up, and the malfunction had triggered the automatic destruct system. In addition, when it had begun to explode, range safety officers had sent the rocket destruct commands, to ensure it would not threaten the coastal population.
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