ABL test anomaly
The "test anomaly" that destroyed the upper stage of an ABL Space Systems RS1 rocket at Mojave Air and Space Port created a plume seen by a wildfire tracking camera. Credit: ALERTWildfire

WASHINGTON — ABL Space Systems said the second stage of the small launch vehicle they are developing was destroyed in an accident during testing Jan. 19.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science...