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Show The Salt La&e Tribune, Sunday, July 12,197(1 Missile Lost In Flight From Utah WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (AP)-An Air Force Athena missile launched early Saturday morning in Utah malfunc-tfioned and might have landed Jjj&l;- miles off course in a re->:'tnb'te mountain section of Mexico, White Sands officials said.' ' $ The trouble-plagued Athijpa, designed to test atmospheric re-entry capabilities, was launched from the White Sands test complex near Green River, Utah, at 2:40 a.m. It was programmed to land 400 miles away on this southern New Mexico missile base. Lands in Mexico? Instead, range officials said, the re-entry vehicle, if it did not burn up in the atmosphere, landed 180 miles . southeast of Chihuahua City, j Mex., or about 400 miles south of where .it was suppose! to. "The Department of State has informed the government of Mexico of the situation and will continue to provide full . information as firm data • becomes available," range officials said. A- . The spokesman refused, to \\ say whether a search wag-being conducted for the reentry portion of the missile;* Begin Probe "An investigation has been initiated to determine cause of the malfunction," the range spokesman sad. The Athena has been tested for several years on the overland route between Green River and White Sands. Several other of the missiles have, malfunctioned in recfent years anil -fiatt to be .destroyed in 'flight. The Salt Lake Tribune, Monday, July 13, 1970 Overshot Target US. Asks Mexico Okay •/ To Seek Athena Missile WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (AP) - American authorities were trying to convince Mexican officials Sunday to permit a search.for an Athejp»missile which, may have crashed in Mexico early Saturday. A White Sands Missile Range spokesman said diplomatic missions in the twa" countries have been asked to-arrange search authority. ''. The missile went astray after being launched frpnu near Green River, Utah. It-was programmed to impact at this southern New Mexico missile range. Range officials said computers indicated that the missile,.: if it survived atmospheric reentry, might have.crashed in an isolated area about 180 miles southeast -of Chihuahua City, some 400 miles off target. "We don't know if it survived," said the spokesman. "We could track it only so ...far. Our computers give a "fairly accurate impact prediction.'" The Salt Lake Tribune, Tuesday, July 14, 19TD "No 'Destruct' Device on Lost Athena 'WHITE SANDS, N.M. '(UPI) - A spokesman for White Sands Missile Range said Monday an Athena missile which went off course and crashed in a remote area of Mexico probably was not destroyed. Permission has not been granted yet by the Mexican government for an American search team to look for the missile, thought to have crashed about 180 miles south-cast of Chihuahua, said Gabe Brillante, White Sands infor-. jnatio'n officer. -,,•••" As of this moment, it appears something did survive,..-tot we don't know how much." Brillante said. '.'We have not received permission from the Mexican government to search for it." There was no destruct mechanism on the 50-foot long, 16,000-pound missile, but usually the re-entry stage of the Athena burns up on reentry, another White Sands spokesman said. Air Force and Army officials began an investigation to determine the cause of the malfunction which sent the missile into a remote mountainous area in Mexico, about 400 miles south of White Sands. The spokesman said the unarmed missile was a. test vehicle designed to • study problems of re-entry in to. the •arth's atmosphere. .'..- |
