The test launch of a three-stage, ground-based interceptor missile designed to blast enemy warheads out of the sky went off without a hitch on 1/26 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was the first launch of the new year and came after more than two years’ worth of upgrades to the nation’s Midcourse Defense system after a failed test in 2010. Saturday’s launch — which cost around $170 million and took place at 2 p.m. — was overseen by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and didn’t involve a dummy warhead.
