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.

[Red Badger]

GONE!.....................

[Voter62vb]

Coincidentally, there is a new bunker on my golf course...and it’s smoking.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“GONE!...”

Maybe they’ll find it near the blimp.

[cripplecreek]

If its found inside an Egyptian tomb looking like its been there for thousands of years I’m gonna freak.

[org.whodat]

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

[null and void]

You have a smoking section on your golf course? When’s Obama playing there?

[Logic n' Reason]

I think it was probably moving a bit faster than the radio transmission....or it made a mistake and flew over Cleveland!!!

[JoeProBono]

[Logic n' Reason]

If its found inside an Egyptian tomb looking like its been there for thousands of years I’m gonna freak.

LOL!!!!

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need no roads!!!"

[Palter]

Either in China, or chasing down our credit rating.

[Oztrich Boy]

An unmanned hypersonic glider developed for U.S. defense research into super-fast global strike capability

If you say so

[isthisnickcool]

The aliens saw it and figured we were close to implementing warp speed....

[Voter62vb]

Two words...candian geese.

[GeronL]

Super Lawn Dart!!!

[commish]

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

[listenhillary]

“Contact was also lost during the first mission.”

I’m pretty sure they were able to tell it to ditch in the ocean on the first mission. You would likely lose contact after it slammed into the water.

[cornfedcowboy]

Was it programmed to fly over London? Those frickin looters are taking everything!

[RadiationRomeo]

Hypersonic flight has a lot of problems. The acceleration will break things, and the plasma environment outside the vehicle causes all kinds of problems.

And besides, the Vulcans may be capturing the vehicles for considering first contact.

[BrewingFrog]

Was it commanded by an Astronaut named Taylor by any chance?

[The Duke]

We used to call these ICBM’s .. but that was back when we could hit a target.

[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...

[Conan the Librarian]

Ludicrous Speed!

[Moleman]

This is just the beginning... Someday Skynet may become self aware and destroy its creators and all who remain...

[AFreeBird]

I believe the Astronaut’s name was Crichton, John Crichton.

[FreedomProtector]

LOL!

[GOPJ]

We gave the United States to the Chinese... or at least they own us now... why not a plane? Well, there’s easier ways to give them a plane...

[Talisker]

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

Yeah, right. I heard they missed Mars once too. Something about forgetting to convert from metric units.

That's the joy of dealing with sheeple - it really doesn't matter what you say.