China’s rocket scientists and its whole aerospace effort suffered a pummeling loss of face on Wednesday when a Long March 3B rocket veered off course, exploded – or was detonated – and crashed 20 seconds after launch. At least four people were killed and 100 injured, mainly by inhaling toxic fumes. State-owned launch contractor Great Wall Industry Corp said that the crash had damaged buildings in the Sichuan valley of Xichang, which has the status of a military base and is surrounded by tight security. The payload was an Intelsat bird that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp hoped to use to offer satellite television in Latin America.
