With the space shuttle program on indefinite hold since the Challenger disaster last Jan. 28, the Pentagon has been counting on its powerful unmanned ^ Titan rockets to fill the void by carrying vital spy satellites into space. One Titan tried to lift an advanced photographic satellite into orbit last August, but the flight was aborted shortly after launch from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. On a second try last week, another Titan exploded right after lift-off.
The explosion released a cloud of toxic vapor that left nearly 60 base employees suffering from eye and skin irritations. The more lasting damage...
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