Rocket Explosion Tied to Power Loss

A momentary loss of electrical power led to the $1-billion explosion that destroyed a Titan 4A rocket and the top-secret spy satellite it was carrying, the U.S. Air Force said. The Titan 4A, the most powerful unmanned U.S. rocket, blew up 42 seconds after lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Aug. 12 in one of the most expensive space disasters in history. Battery power to the rocket’s guidance electronics was lost just before the explosion, the Air Force’s chief investigator, Maj. Gen. Robert Hinson, said. The guidance system ordered the 20-story Titan to turn its nose toward the ground.