The US Air Force launched a test-run of its Minuteman 3 missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base northwest of Los Angeles last night, lighting up the sky with enough rocket fuel to carry the missile to its destination, 4,200 miles away. In November last year, the US Navy fired a missile from a submarine off the coast of Southern California at night causing scores of residents to report it as a UFO. But that did not seem to be the case this time as the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) — which was unarmed, and carrying a test re-entry vehicle — was launched towards the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, far into the Pacific Ocean.
The missile launched at 11.34pm PST on Saturday night, a little later than intended. ‘There was a slight delay due to some instruments downrange but it went within the launch window,’ said Carla Pampe, chief of civic outreach for Air Force Global Strike Command. This was one of many such launches from Vandenberg base, which is often used to test the missiles. READ MORE
