After a brief UFO-scare — really, people — the Russians have confirmed that the spiraling light seen from Norway was yet another failed Bulava test. Pavel Podvig has a nice post up.
This is pretty much the best video I can find.
Brian Williams, by the way, is an idiot. “Never seen-before spiral”? Says who, you ninny? I’ve seen that before:
The Russians confirmed that became “unstable” during the third stage, which gave the ‘wegians a little show. ITAR–TASS published most of the statement:
“On December 9, the Dmitry Donskoi nuclear-powered submarine performed an underwater launch of a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the White Sea, within the framework of design and flight tests,” the press service of the Defense Ministry told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
“After the return of the submarine to a naval base, experts examined telemetry returns. The first two stages of the missile operated in normal mode, but a technical failure occurred at the third stage of the flight trajectory.
“According to telemetry data, the third stage engine was unstable,” the defense ministry said, adding that a state commission for design and flight tests will ascertain the cause of the engine failure.
The reference to telemetry raises the obvious question — given the US-Russian Joint Statement “to continue to work together in the spirit of the START Treaty following its expiration” on December 5 — did Russia encrypt the telemetry?
Update | 3:13 pm Pavel Podvig notes that Russia conducted another missile test, this time of a Topol.