An experimental rocket carrying $17 million worth of NASA experiments was destroyed early Friday morning after it veered off course soon after launch from the Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore.
Explosive charges on the nose of the rocket were detonated by NASA about 27 seconds after the 5:10 a.m. launch. The agency said most of the wreckage probably fell into the Atlantic Ocean, although a resident of Modest Town reported debris starting a fire on Assawoman Island.
Most of the rocket's solid fuel should have burned up or been neutralized by saltwater, officials said, but debris could be hazardous and should not be touched.
"It was an extremely clean-count process," said Kent Rominger, a vice president for rocket designer Alliant Techsystems Inc. "We were well ahead of schedule most of the morning. The rocket lifted off, pitched over as it was supposed to, but continued to veer south."
Rominger declined to place a value on the rocket, saying it was proprietary information. The prototype was Alliant's first rocket, although the company has been involved in other aspects of the space program for some time. The rocket was between 11,000 and 12,000 feet high when it was destroyed.
The rocket was intended to travel about 200 nautical miles aloft, carrying experiments in hypersonic flight -- which is more than five times the speed of sound -- and a new design for landing humans or equipment through an atmosphere on Earth or other planets. Also aboard was a Navy experiment of a GPS device to aid recovery of objects in the ocean.
There are no backups for the lost probes, which were called HYBOLT and SOAREX. Juan Alonso, director of NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program, said, "We knew the risks of launching payloads on a first-of-its-kind rocket."
NASA and Alliant had worked together on the project for about three years.
"I would call it a very big disappointment but not a setback," Rominger said. "This morning, before the launch, I said we have learned an incredible amount. Anything from this point on is a bonus. I was actually hoping for a bigger bonus than we got."
He said one of the most demanding parts of the mission was the intended trajectory, which was needed for NASA's readings of temperature and pressure at speeds of around 5,280 mph through the atmosphere, which creates friction and heat.
Anyone finding debris on land or in the ocean should call NASA at (757) 824-1300.
Diane Tennant, (757) 446-2478,
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johnnycage -- ignorance at it’s best
You obviously have no base for your opinions. So let’s see….what has NASA and the billions of dollars we have spent returned to us???
Do you have a cell phone? Maybe you use some sort of GPS in your truck. Oh, unless you drive a hybrid, then it must certainly use some sort of advanced battery cell. Think solar panels are good for the environment? What about the Dismal Swamp fires? Maybe satellite thermal imagery had nothing to do with the firefighting efforts. Do you enjoy knowing if it’s going to rain before you head out to the beach? Hey, maybe we could just guess if a storm is going to turn into a hurricane. Weather satellites have nothing to do with that. You like to eat don’t you? What do you think our farmers use to maximize our crops?
Not to mention the countless products you enjoy on a daily basis which all have root in the space programs we support.
You should really investigate what our Space industry has done for us before you cast aspersions. Since you cannot fathom what it HAS done for us, I will not waste another letter telling you what is in store for us in the future because of our willingness to explore space.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport
The HyBoLt payload was an experimental vehicle to advance flight speeds within the atmosphere. The testing has both civilian and military applications that must proceed despite the unfortunate new booster failure. The research is very important and must continue. We learn from error --- as that is the scientific method.
Johnny
Well, I guess 'Space Exploration' is not listed in the Constitution. Go Figure? What could I live without? Free handouts to 4th generation welfare recipients! I figure our forefathers knew not to give free money to people who didn't work for it. And they were right!
Cut the garbage and entitlements in the budget and the measely $71 Billion will seem like a trip to 7-11 for a Slurpee! The point is...
POINT: This planet has FINITE resources. We must be able to get off of here and live elsewhere! It's all going to run out eventually. Think LONG.
Our combined hate of each other will kill us as a race! So we must get over IT and our POLITICS! Band together for the COMMON good.
if anything increase nasa's budget
We're never going to have a ship for Captain Kirk to command at this pace.
Seriously, I'd love to live long enough to see a permanent colony on the moon and Mars. Keep up the good work. Setbacks are part of the game.
It's over Kent
Kent Rominger is in a dream world. If this is the best you can do, then you need to find another profession. Let's establish the one fact we have on hand. The launch failed, all the money was wasted, and there is debris all over the place. All the experiments are burn to hell.
Earth to Kent: It was a total failure. It crashed and everything and all the experiments were lost. "It was an extremely clean-count process," said Kent Rominger, a vice president for rocket designer Alliant Techsystems Inc. I think the hint here Kent is get a new process and quit talking like a politician. Also, when Obama gets the big house, we will not go back to the moon, but you already know that. Quit wasting money
Point Taken
I understand that NASA's budget isnt that much compared to social security, the military or the Iraq War. My point was maybe we could utilize that $17 million in a better manor then polluting the seashore with OOPS debris. Everything has its place and time. Nows not the time I believe. Think about it, if we had to live without something would you choose your military, your medical and monetary benefits for the elderly or the pursuit of little green men? I think that choice is obvious... least I hope.
The Future Needs $
NASA should indeed keep it up. We cannot stay 'only' on this planet indefinitely. Mankind's real future lies in colonizing the planets of our solar system and then beyond. How else are we going to handle our propensity for procreation? We need room and resources!
If you really want to save some money in the budget then cut the pork-barrel earmarks that nearly every member of Congress places into our budget each year. It is mostly unnecessary spending that is being used as paybacks for their political donors. Also, the military budget pales in comparision to entitlement spending, yet all we hear about is how much the military costs us. I haven't seen a domestic terrorism attack since 9/11/01...money well spent!
Think third party this election year. The Demoncats and Repugs need a wakeup call!
Yes, but....
Several posters have listed the many benefits of the NASA space program. Why has no one listed the benefits of the Iraq war, as NASA cost is a drop in the bucket in comparison?? Remember that they had nothing to do with 9-11. Are we really spending our $ wisely?
Yes, worth it
Yes, the budget is worth it and really should be more. It's really one of the few smart things the government does for the continuing health of the economy. They do the research that does not or has too long of an ROI to be done in the private sector. In fact the project in question is to develop new launch vehicle technology that is more reliable and cheaper. Currently 1 out of every 20 launches has this kind of result. NASA is also a lot more than launching rockets but the boring hard science stuff doesn't make it into the newspaper.
Funding
As long as we live in a country that blindly mortgages the financial future by borrowing into oblivion and creating unfunded mandates, who cares how much NASA's budget is? I applaud their research and don't believe that the world revolves around a zero-sum game (i.e. if NASA gets funding then some needy cause is reduced by a corresponding amount). Fiscal due diligence would suggest throttling back on ALL spending- a responsibility we have given to the legislative branch, where all funding bills originate. Go, NASA, you are doing a fine job and past performance proves that you are able to pursue exploration missions on fewer dollars- working smarter, not harder. Thank you.
NASA's Budget
NASA innovations have given us infrared ear thermometers, wireless headsets, clean-burning airplane engines, anti-icing systems, cabin pressure devices, Teflon and countless others. We don't think of NASA when we use these everyday, because they are not stamped "invented by NASA". We see $B’s in tax dollars go into NASA, but we never see the $Ts that space tech puts into the economy or the high quality private sector jobs produced. [Since NASA's creation in 1958, the agency's total funding adds up to less than one year's of funding for the Defense Dept or for HHS]. NASA's entire budget this year equals 1.5 months of the Iraq War. The war has also produced lots of jobs, but unlike the war, NASA has not killed quite that many Americans.
Exploration is important
We need to keep up with space exploration and research. We want to be the "discoverers" and not the "discovered". If you don't believe me, ask the Indians what it was like to be the "discovered".
Money seemingly not well spent
Looks like my tax dollar exploded 27 seconds into the launch - what a shame, but at least I understand the risks with space exploration. I also understand this planet of ours will not last forever, and in fact, there's a good chance of future catastrophic events. Should the day come, and my son, or son's son's son's daughter need to leave, and there is refuge on Mars or the moon, then that tax dollar will have been a good investment.
In Defense of NASA
A partial list of what society has gained directly or indirectly because of the work of NASA:
Kidney dialysis machines; CAT scans & MRI technology; cardiovascular conditioners; athletic shoe design and manufacture; miniaturization of electronics; GPS navigation; Google Maps; Cable and satellite television; wireless/cellular communication systems; water purification technology, insulation for homes/machines, cordless power tools & appliances.
Literally thousands more.
NASA
In 2007 Social Security spending was $586 billion, and D-FENS was $548 billion. At least NASA does cool stuff, and once upon a time gave kids a goal other than becoming a baller, which they most likely will never achieve. Granted, most kids aren't going to become an astronaut either, but perhaps if more kids were into science maybe we'd be a bit better off.
A break...
Too bad, with all that the country is facing, NASA cant take a vacation. Im sure that somewhere they are truly making a difference in our lives with these enormously expensive projects, experiments and space trips. It just seems with education, roads, border security, terrorism and the tanking economy we could focus on more domestic issues rather then extra terrestrial ones? NASA's budget for 2009 is equated at $17.6 BILLION. Compared to all national parks, refuges, forests and public land people use frequently with a budget around$500-600 million? Not sure if their expense is warranted. And the benefit worth it?