The launch of the first satellite from Hawaii went awry Tuesday when the experimental Super Strypi launch vehicle failed midflight, according to the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base.
The center's terse news release did not include any information about what may have caused the launch vehicle to fail. The mission was supposed to deploy 13 small-cube satellites during the flight.
The Super Strypi is an unguided rocket that is launched from a tilted rail, according to Aerojet Rocketdyne, which makes the launch vehicle.
"Without a complex and costly guidance system, the launch aims to demonstrate a concept that cuts preparation and processing time from months to weeks, thereby slashing the cost of launching small satellites into orbit," according to the company's website.
A spokesman for Aerojet Rocketdyne was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
The launch had initially been slated for October 2013, but it was delayed several times due to technology and timing issues, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
