| |
August 23, 2003
|
 |
Fatal blast hits Brazil space hopes
About 20 people have been killed in an explosion which destroyed a Brazilian space rocket just days before its scheduled launch, military officials have said.
A spokesman for the Alcantara base in the north-eastern state of Maranhao said no wounded had been found.
One of the rocket's four motors caught fire, triggering an explosion which caused the launchpad to collapse as technicians were carrying out final tests.
The explosion was so intense that the exact number of victims and their identities have been difficult to establish.
"We were forced to hold a roll call of technicians" in order to work out who was missing, Defence Minister Jose Viegas said.
The failure of the VLS-3 rocket, which had been due to put two satellites into orbit, marks Brazil's third unsuccessful space bid since 1997.
|
|
|
|
