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Dec 11, 2009
Russian missile launch explains mystery light
White light over Norway appeared after launch failed
The appearance of an extraordinary light over Norway coincided with the pre-dawn test launch on Wednesday of the nuclear-capable Bulava missile. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MOSCOW: Russia's new nuclear-capable missile suffered another failed test launch, the defence ministry said yesterday, solving the mystery of a spectacular plume of white light that appeared over Norway.
The Bulava missile was test-fired from the submarine Dmitry Donskoi in the White Sea early on Wednesday but failed at the third stage, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The pre-dawn morning launch coincided with the appearance of an extraordinary light over northern Norway that captivated observers.
Images of the light that appeared in the sky above the Norwegian city of Tromso and elsewhere prompted explanations ranging from a meteor, northern lights, a failed missile or even a UFO.
Describing the latest failure of the Bulava as a major embarrassment for the military, leading Russian defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said the images were consistent with a missile failure.
'Such lights and clouds appear from time to time when a missile fails in the upper layers of the atmosphere and have been reported before,' he said.
The ministry said it did not know whether the lights were the Bulava, which can accommodate multiple nuclear warheads and has a range of 8,000km. This was the 12th test launch of the Bulava and the seventh time the firing has ended in failure, the Interfax news agency said.
The submarine-launched missile is central to Russia's plan to revamp its ageing weapons arsenal but is beset by development problems.
The defence ministry statement said the problem was with the engine in the third stage, while in past launches the first stage had been faulty.
The problems with the Bulava have become an agonising issue for the defence ministry, which has ploughed a large proportion of its procurement budget into ensuring the missile becomes the key element of its rocket forces.
The previous failure in July forced the resignation of Mr Yury Solomonov, director of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology which is responsible for developing the missile.
Dec 11, 2009
Russian missile launch explains mystery light
White light over Norway appeared after launch failed
The appearance of an extraordinary light over Norway coincided with the pre-dawn test launch on Wednesday of the nuclear-capable Bulava missile. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MOSCOW: Russia's new nuclear-capable missile suffered another failed test launch, the defence ministry said yesterday, solving the mystery of a spectacular plume of white light that appeared over Norway.
The Bulava missile was test-fired from the submarine Dmitry Donskoi in the White Sea early on Wednesday but failed at the third stage, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The pre-dawn morning launch coincided with the appearance of an extraordinary light over northern Norway that captivated observers.
Images of the light that appeared in the sky above the Norwegian city of Tromso and elsewhere prompted explanations ranging from a meteor, northern lights, a failed missile or even a UFO.
Describing the latest failure of the Bulava as a major embarrassment for the military, leading Russian defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said the images were consistent with a missile failure.
'Such lights and clouds appear from time to time when a missile fails in the upper layers of the atmosphere and have been reported before,' he said.
The ministry said it did not know whether the lights were the Bulava, which can accommodate multiple nuclear warheads and has a range of 8,000km. This was the 12th test launch of the Bulava and the seventh time the firing has ended in failure, the Interfax news agency said.
The submarine-launched missile is central to Russia's plan to revamp its ageing weapons arsenal but is beset by development problems.
The defence ministry statement said the problem was with the engine in the third stage, while in past launches the first stage had been faulty.
The problems with the Bulava have become an agonising issue for the defence ministry, which has ploughed a large proportion of its procurement budget into ensuring the missile becomes the key element of its rocket forces.
The previous failure in July forced the resignation of Mr Yury Solomonov, director of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology which is responsible for developing the missile.
