Posted on 08/29/2019 9:23:52 AM PDT by McGruff
A rocket at an Iranian space center that was to conduct a satellite launch criticized by the U.S. apparently exploded on its launch pad Thursday, satellite images show, suggesting the Islamic Republic suffered its third failed launch this year alone.
State media and officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Irans Semnan province.
However, satellite images by Planet Labs Inc. showed a black plume of smoke rising above a launch pad there, with what appeared to be the charred remains of a rocket and its launch stand. In previous days, satellite images had shown officials there repainted the launch pad blue.
On Thursday morning, half of that paint apparently had been burned away.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Allahwahoo Whackbar!
The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran. I wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One.
1:44 PM · Aug 30, 2019
If they are not following NFPA 70E, somebody is in trouble.
Thanks Robert A Cook PE.
The image apparently came from a prev-gen spy satellite with an estimated resolution of 10 cm per pixel. The most recent NROL launch put a satellite with improved capabilities (ahem) into orbit, just within the past 12 months. Oh, and BTW, NeverTrumpers and other Democrats and Democrats-in-all-but-name suck ****.
A Tweet has shown us the capabilities or the current generation of US spy satellites. By analyzing the images shared the location of the satellite was determined and traced to USA-224 AKA NROL-49 - an image intelligence satellite that is derived from a design in the 1970's and also shares some design charactersitics with the Hubble Space Telescope.
What a Tweet Tells Us About US Spy Satellites | Scott Manley | Published on August 31, 2019
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