Morning Wallops Launch Ends in a Crash

Just 19 seconds after lift-off, the Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket carrying the SubTec-6 payload crashed down in a pre-designated hazard zone in the Atlantic Ocean. An investigation into what could have caused the rocket to fail mid-flight is ongoing.

Earlier this morning the rocket launch of the Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility "ended prematurely" after reaching an altitude of 27,000 feet, according to NASA.

At 4:36 a.m. EDT NASA technical staff and range controllers detected a "flight anomaly with the second stage Improved Malemute motor," which subsequently caused the rocket's ascension to falter and then fail entirely. The craft crash-landed in a pre-designated hazard zone, which had been cleared prior to launch.

Thankfully NASA reports that no one was injured - a small miracle considering that the launch had been delayed for three consecutive days due to ships unknowingly wandering through hazard zone waters during launch time.

While a full investigation is ongoing, experts and enthusiasts have already began to speculate about what caused the failure.

The Wallops Flight Facility had made the launch available to view in real-time on UStream, and Facebook and Twitter comments have revealed that that the rocket's sustainer had been wobbling and may have fallen away from the craft after ignition - although this is unconfirmed. Video of the live stream is unavailable, although it may be made available in the near-future.

"Knew something was wrong when it didn't get higher than the treetops and started going downward and fizzling out. Just looked like a big flare," Loralyn Ward commented on the initial Facebook page announcement of the flight failure.

This Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket launch was intended to test an inexpensive altitude solution system for releasing wind-measuring "vapor tracers," and a mini deployment actuator for cubesat spacecraft - the same spacecraft that will be used to put a digital scrapbook on Mars.

It remains unclear if the payload remained intact.