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U.S. Conducts First Flight Test of New Booster Rocket
The U.S. Defense Department announced Friday that a booster rocket designed for use in an eventual U.S. missile defense system was successful in its first flight test.
The prototype three-stage booster rocket was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Friday morning and flew about 4,800 kilometers before it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, said Pentagon spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin.
The first attempted intercept using the prototype booster rocket is scheduled for 2002 or 2003, Irwin added.
The Pentagon has been using modified versions of older rockets in its intercept tests, including a successful intercept over the Pacific on July 14.
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