Hello all. I must have missed it, but I'm sure someone has mentioned the recent spiraling light seen in Norway attributed to a failed Russian missile launch? My current understanding is that initially, tens of thousands of people across Norway called in reporting a spiraling light (video link below) with a blue beam piercing it across the sky. Russia initially said their military had no involvement. The next day, Russia admits a failed missile launch. They don't say that that is what was in the sky, but that seems to be what is being reported globally anyhow.
I went to Google News, and typed in missile. I found much more recent activity than I expected!
I am not the best in "connecting the dots" but I will share what I have found in case someone else has something to add.
1. Good HD video clip of the event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L85OkML5drQ&feature=player_embedded
2. Seemingly official explanation:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2009/12/mysterious-blue-light-near-norway-caused-by-failed-russian-missile-test/1
3. A very interesting, but perhaps disinfo filled, exopolitical take on the event:
_http://exopoliticsnews.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/norway-light-spiral-%E2%80%93-missile-failure-caused-by-ufoet-intervention/
4. Wait, another missile test this week also?? From India:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/N-capable-missile-Dhanush-test-fired-successfully/553869
"N-capable missile Dhanush test-fired successfully"
5. Wait, ANOTHER missile launch that also failed this week?? In the U.S. even:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUbsTrWjGldnPucsuOUepKR4An-gD9CHGK900
"Missile defense test aborted when target [missile] fails" (added comment mine)
6. Apparently the U.s. also signed a missile pact with Poland this week as well:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BA2Y920091211
"... makes possible deployments of a U.S. Patriot missile battery in Poland next year as part of plans to upgrade its air defences."
7. And am I the only one who finds it strange that just one week before this failed Russian missile launch, both the U.S. and Russia failed to agreed to a new missile treaty before the deadline of the expiration of the previous contract?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/world/europe/05arms.html
"...In October, the Obama administration expressed concern that if the deadline for a new pact passed and official authority for inspections lapsed, the United States would be unable to monitor the Russian nuclear stockpile."
8. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Iran has also announced missile tests this week:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/13/content_12641837.htm
"Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Sunday that his country will test some missile products in the near future, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. "
You know, if that was all the news in the missile industry this week, maybe that would be normal. And there are several stories I chose not to include in this post (http://new.googles.com and search for missile), but maybe just maybe the following stories relate to the above? Then again, maybe not. :)
9. Lockheed Martin won a missile contract worth nearly 1 billion dollars this week. What kind of missiles you ask? Nuclear warheads shot from submarines. Wait a second...Get back to me in #10
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/12/07/daily15.html
"Lockheed Martin gets $851M Trident missile contract"
10. Wait a second. Wasn't the failed Russian launch (every article here is from the last week) ALSO designed primarily to be used as a submarine based nuclear warhead missile???
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/10/world/international-us-russia-missile-failure.html
"The submarine-based Bulava (Mace) missile has been billed as Russia's newest technological breakthrough to support its nuclear deterrent, but the repeated test failures are an embarrassment for the Kremlin."
"Norwegian experts reported sighting of phenomena in the atmosphere near the White Sea, where ***earlier*** Bulava rockets were fired, the Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers reported." (emphasis mine)
""This is a catastrophe ... Huge funds were siphoned off from Russia's moribund navy for the Bulava project. In fact, billions of dollars have been flushed down the drain," Alexander Khramchikhin, chief analyst at the Moscow-based Institute of Military and Political Analysis, said."
11. In case anybody was confused about the morality of the missile industry, also in the news this week:
http://www.al.com/business/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/business/1260440113203840.xml&coll=1
"Missile exec gets 5 years in bribe case
Cantrell admits taking $1.6 million from contractors"
12. And, of course, there's the "terrorism" aspect of missiles tied into "Iran." From 3 weeks ago:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2009/11/5-charged-in-plot-to-buy-anti-aircraft-missiles-machine-guns/1
"5 charged in plot to buy anti-aircraft missiles, machine guns"
"In another terrorism case today, the FBI says it has charged five Lebanese men over an attempt to buy 100 shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and 10,000 machine guns destined for Syria or Iran."
Anyhow, I stumbled across all this quite by accident, and greatly welcome any input!
Take care all,
Jason in California
PS - My wireless keyboard's batteries are dying, my apologies for any typos I may have missed.