Vandenberg Air Force Base canceled a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile early Tuesday morning.
Air Force officials terminated the launch after an unexpected anomaly was discovered at 4:42 a.m. Tuesday.
Experts say an anomaly is any unexpected event during the test. Since anomalies may arise from many factors relating to
the operational platform itself, or the test equipment, careful analysis is needed to identify the cause.
A Launch Analysis Group is forming to investigate the cause of the anomaly.
Air Force officials say such test launches provide "valuable data to planners and holistically test the system, procedures and Airmen from the initial mission planning to the final weapons employment phases."
There are typically four missile test launches conducted each year.
A new launch date for the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile has yet to be released.
