MISSILE FAILS
‘Torso Tom’ Experiment
(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE (California), May 28. An Atlas missile, carrying an 88-pound replica of a spaceman’s body, exploded late last night two minutes after it was launched at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The Air Force had hoped the missile would Lft the lifesize dummy nicknamed “Torso Tom"—in»o space to measure effects of radiation. The missile fell in flames and scattered wreck-ge into the sea. The cause of the failure is not known and the air force had nothing further to say on the test, many aspects of which are secret.
The plastic torso was inside a 203-pound vehicle carried in a pod on one side of the Atlas.
The pod was to have fired itself into orbit after the Atlas had exhausted its fuel. Instruments attached to the torso were to have transmitted information on the effects of radiation back to earth. A similar research satellite failed to achieve orbit last January.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19650529.2.144
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 15
Word Count
164MISSILE FAILS Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 15
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.