Research & Innovation

The hypersonic space weapon was destroyed when it was fired from a US military installation in Alaska at 4am local time yesterday.

While officials are trying to determine the cause of the anomaly that forced the weapon’s destruction it is understood that debris fell within the spaceport of Kodiak, off Alaska’s southern coast.

The Advanced Hypersonic Weapon – Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 – is a DARPA project that has been in testing for the last five years.

DARPA is the same US test lab that sowed the seeds of the internet as we know it today, originally envisioning a communications network that would survive a nuclear war.

The hypersonic weapon that blew up yesterday was designed to hit any target on earth within one hour.

It was developed by Sandia National Laboratory and the US Army as part of the Pentagon’s Conventional Prompt Global Strike technology development programme.

In a statement the Pentagon said: “Shortly after 4 a.m. EDT, the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, as part of the Defense Department’s Conventional Prompt Global Strike technology development program, conducted a flight test of the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska.

“Due to an anomaly, the test was terminated near the launch pad shortly after lift-off to ensure public safety. There were no injuries to any personnel.

“Program officials are conducting an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the flight anomaly,” the Pentagon said.