Military Satellite Fails for Third Time
- Share via
From Times Wire Reports
A military communications satellite worth $800 million ended up in the wrong orbit, the third failure in a row for the Air Force’s most powerful rocket. Everything appeared to go well as the Titan IV lifted off at Cape Canaveral, Fla., after being delayed 1 1/2 hours by minor technical problems and overnight thunderstorms. But seven hours later, Air Force officials said that the Defense Department’s newest Milstar satellite was in a lopsided orbit thousands of miles below the intended 22,300-mile-high orbit.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
