
OSLO, Norway, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- A Russian rocket gone awry appears to be responsible for a mysterious spiraling white and blue light show seen over Norway, officials say.
Thousands of people in Norway reported seeing the unusual light Wednesday, The Christian Science Monitor reported Thursday. Before long, the Russian Defense Ministry disclosed the third stage engine of a Bulava rocket its personnel had fired from a submarine in the White Sea near the Norwegian coast proved "unstable."
The online newspaper said while the Russians didn't specify that their rocket caused the blue light special Norwegians witnessed, the two events appeared more than coincidental, given the powerful missile should have been high in the atmosphere when the problem occurred.
The Russian news agency Novosti said the test was at least the seventh failure of the Bulava against five successful launches.
"The first two stages functioned smoothly, but the flight faltered at the third stage," the Russian Defense Ministry said in its statement released after the spiral light show. "There was a technical failure in the third stage engines rendering them unstable."
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional Odd News Stories | |
MESA, Calif., Feb. 10 (UPI) --
Jesse Farrelly, the 20-year-old son of filmmaker Bobby Farrelly, has died in Costa Mesa, Calif., after a long battle with drug addiction, his family said.
|
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern warning last week against the international community, which imposed sanctions last month targeting the regime's vital oil exports and central bank.
|
OTTAWA, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
A village in Canada with a population of 34 is disputing its disappearance as reported in Statistics Canada's census figures released this week.
|
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the construction of two new nuclear reactors, the first to be built in the United States since 1978.
|
| Stories | Photos | People | Comments |
View Caption