Pentagon stumped

[Psion]

whoops at typo >.>

[Korietsu]

Pretty much just a test launch. No need to worry, its just not being made public like the X34 Shuttle.

[Melchoir]

If the government made an unannounced flight that consisted of duct tape, a rocket engine, and a light bright people would be all over it until the government says what it was. When military officials say "I'm not at liberty to answer that" or something, people's interests rise 10,000 fold.

[miokomioko]

Fuck your Iron Man bullshit.

http://www.impawards.com/1991/posters/rocketeer.jpg
*Fall 2010

[Kuya]

This guy on Reddit seems to know what's up(http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/c...oast/c14zt3d):

So is this the conclusive story? I don't want to pay attention to this until there's enough consensus, otherwise i'll have to suffer through conspiracy theories.

[Baelorn]

So is this the conclusive story? I don't want to pay attention to this until there's enough consensus, otherwise i'll have to suffer through conspiracy theories.

I'm not sure. I just think it's the explanation that makes the most sense. Unless...swamp gas.

[Acturus]

Balloon Boy makes a spectacular return to the air! This time in a rocket, to space!

Godspeed Falcon.

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/

Maybe this guy solved it.

[Tekki]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?...ted;photovideo

edit: ya see previous post. flight from Hawaii

[Archain]

When I was on the USS Maryland as a missile technician, I got to launch two Trident II SLBMs. I can tell you that when I was in, the only SSBNs the US Navy used to launch SLBMs were Ohio class (numbering 18 when I was in, 14 now that they converted four to SSGNs) now launching only the Trident II missile (used to be Trident I for West Coast boats until they were upgraded to II). I took part in FCET-21 which launched tubes #10 and #22 from the Maryland. Despite the fact that I was assigned to an Atlantic sub, I can tell you that what you are seeing there is not a Trident II launch.

Usually when a submarine is selected to perform an FCET a lot of prep is involved. NOTU is normally tasked with aiding the unit in preparation for the FCET. We do service unit ops and remove the W76/W88 warheads, replacing them with telemetry ones. Equipment is installed onboard the submarine to aid in tracking, expand DRS, and a package is installed in the missile(s) to be fired to allow remote detonation (a capability that you do not normally have with a regular weapon).

Usually an FCET also involves one of the missile range instrumentation ships (USNS Invincible or USNS Observation Island) to be present. It's a fairly large expenditure when these are launched as these missiles aren't actually owned by the Navy directly, but leased from Lockheed Martin.

These things are essentially "blowgunned" out of the missile tube by flashing an 85-gallon cooling chamber into steam and forcing the missile out of the tube, through the water, until it reaches the surface. Once an accelerometer on board the missile senses the "fallback" it starts the missile's 1st stage ignition. The entire purpose of the missile is to put the equipment section into low orbit in order to position itself for the release of it's re-entry vehicles (which ballistically fall to their individual targets). They don't really hang around a long time, and can reach speeds up to around Mach 18.

You can see a difference in size from an SSGN launched Tomahawk and an SSBN launched Trident.