Satellite Stays On Ground

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31539, 29 November 1967, Page 17

Satellite Stays On Ground

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ADELAIDE, November 28. Australia’s first attempt to launch a satellite fizzled out at Woomera today when the giant Redstone rocket failed to lift off the launching pad.

Woomera officials were aghast at the failure because the vital count-down proceeded right to the point where the launching should have taken place. But nothing happened. The count-down began at the scheduled time of 2.29 p.m. local, and the rocket was due to blast off 23 seconds after the zero level had been reached. But the rocket failed to take

off and there was no immediate explanation available. - Hundreds of space officials, technicians, reporters, and photographers watched in amazement as did the launching staff when at the final count the giant 70ft rocket made no semblance of movement from the launching pad.

Immediately technicians began to examine the mechanism in the search for the fault It was announced 20 minutes after the failure that another count-down would begin later this afternoon and in the meantime engineers would continue to search to find out what had gone wrong. About 400 engineers who assisted with Australia’s historic space attempt dejectedly left their posts. All procedures will have to be repeated tomorrow when another attempted launching is scheduled.