Contact lost with hypersonic glider after launch

AP ^ | Aug 11, 12:46 PM EDT | By JOHN ANTCZAK

[Red Badger]

An unmanned hypersonic glider developed for U.S. defense research into super-fast global strike capability was launched atop a rocket early Thursday but contact was lost after the experimental craft began flying on its own, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said.

There was no immediate information on how much of the mission's goals were achieved.

It was the second of two planned flights of a Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2. Contact was also lost during the first mission.

The small craft is part of a U.S. military initiative to develop technology to respond to threats at 20 times the speed of sound or greater, reaching any part of the globe in an hour.

The HTV-2 is designed to be launched to the edge of space, separate from its booster and maneuver through the atmosphere at 13,000 mph before intentionally crashing into the ocean.

DARPA used Twitter to announce the launch and status of the flight.

The agency said the launch of the Minotaur 4 rocket was successful and separation was confirmed. It next reported that telemetry had been lost.

[TYVets]

The HTV-2 is intended to put theory, simulations and wind tunnel experience to the test in real flight conditions at speeds producing temperatures in the thousands of degrees and requiring extremely fast control systems, according to DARPA.

They also lost contact with the first one to fly.

0bama's 7th century muslim brothers can't figure out how to turn the maneuvering computer on.

[verum ago]

Freaky! I was going to post something almost identical (I assume you mean Canada Geese).

I kinda wonder if contact wasn't lost, though. If I were running a test like this, I'd consider saying it failed when it didn't.

Just so long as contact being lost had nothing to do with a Russian or Chinese "fishing trawler" near its flight path...

[Trajan88]

RE: "It ripped through the fabric of time and space will reappear in a few thousand years."

Hey, maybe returning to an earth where apes are running the show :-)

[ken5050]

Sperm in space...

[Freeport]

The last known transmission from the aircraft was: “I knew I should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque.”

Now that's funny right there... But you needed Daffys bluster first!

[bruoz]

Check Ebay tomorrow.

[Datom]

As soon as they learn how to reproduce, they will be back in mass to take over the earth!

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Was John Criton on board?

[rokkitapps]

shouldn’t this launch have been secret... then the failure would be shhh... secret

[SMARTY]

Gone in 60 seconds

[GOPJ]

I’ve read the comments - interesting how so many of us are uneasy with ‘lost’ as the explanation...

[MRadtke]

This comes to my mind...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1G-TsdNWGg

[Taylor42]

Wonder if we gave it to the Chinese?

[evets]

FOUND IT...

[traumer]

[traumer]

for sale on eBay...

[eekitsagreek]

It’s gone to plaid!!

[The Sons of Liberty]

Wonder if we gave it to the Chinese?

On orders from 0bamao!

[avant_garde]

Standard answer for a black ops mission!

[Zeppo]

And that’s how Skynet was born on August 11, 2011...