[greasepaint]

After this weekend's weather delay, this test is reported
to be a 'success'. Lets hope the N Koreans
agree not to attack during bad weather. Perhaps, if we
give them some rice, we could negotiate a treaty stipulating
when the US is allowed to be attacked.

[John W]

So,you seem bitter about this success.Whats up?

[MichaelP]

Lets hope the N Koreans agree not to attack during bad weather

The weather had no effect on the interceptor's ability to strike the warhead. They waited for clear weather so the could OBSERVE the test with telescopes and thus verifying a hit....

Mike

[KC_for_Freedom]

After this weekend's weather delay, this test is reported to be a 'success'. Lets hope the N Koreans agree not to attack during bad weather

Just so you are aware, the reason for postponement during bad weather is for instrumentation and publicity photographs, not because the system will not work. The intercept was in outer space, no weather there, and the missiles fly quickly through ground weather. Just so you know.

[katana]

Contrary to what you appear to expect, weapons systems, especially those which are complex and based on entirely new technology, do not come ready made off the shelf of your local Walmart. They take years of painstaking trial and error. During early stages the developers seek to eliminate all extraneous factors like weather so that they can get a valid test result on the basic concepts and technology of the system. They can worry about making it work in all weather conditions later.

During WWII, Von Braun and his team developing the V2 pulled together an edited film showing only their successful test launches (about ten percent or less of the total trials) for Hitler and the German General Staff. It was the only way they could expect to get continued funding. I suppose someone like you would have said the idea of an ICBM would never work since all of the early testing and development was so rarely successful. With your obvious grasp of science, technology, and weapons development you might just qualify for a seat on Congress.

[sam_paine]

Lets hope the N Koreans agree not to attack during bad weather.

Ever heard of the "Scientific Method?" One tenet is that you only change one variable at a time. The successive tests alter various control variables, and see if the theorized model matches the results. That's why you do tests.

If it had been bad weather, and "it didn't work" exactly what would you have learned??? Was it the weather, or the variables you had changed??? BTW, this IS rocket science, folks!!

[harpseal]

Before the inteceptor is all weather it needs to be tested under optimal conditions. We know certain parts of the system work therefor we can build up the other parts of the system. One does not do aerobatics on an airframe until it handles level flight.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown