Minuteman Blasts Off After 24-Hour Delay
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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE — A Minuteman 3 rocket was successfully launched early Thursday after a 24-hour delay, a Vandenberg spokesman said.
The unarmed booster rocket blasted off shortly after 1 a.m., traveling 4,300 miles to the U.S. Army’s Kwajalein atoll in the Pacific, according to Sgt. Virgil Short.
The 30-minute flight went without a hitch. Short said the test launch carried two navigation systems, one of which is to be used for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile program.
He added that the launch was routine and part of the Air Force’s research and development program.
The rocket was originally scheduled for launch Wednesday morning, but weather problems caused the delay.
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