Test missile launches from Kodiak

A terminal high altitude area defense, or THAAD, interceptor is launched from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, during Flight Experiment THAAD (FET)-01 on July 30, 2017. (Photo by Leah Garton/Missile Defense Agency)

The Alaska Aerospace Corporation just completed its second missile test of the summer as part of its partnership with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

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People in the area at the time report having seen the launch overnight between Saturday and Sunday.

According to an agency news release, this weekend a U.S. Air Force C-17 air-launched a medium-range target ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean.

The release said that the terminal high altitude area defense weapon, or THAAD, system at Narrow Cape successfully located and intercepted that test missile.

As detailed in the release, the experiment was done to “gather threat data” from the interceptor, and will help the agency to improve the THAAD system and to “stay ahead of the evolving thread.”

According to the release, the agency has completed 15 tests of the THAAD system, all of which have been successful.

Kayla Deroches is a reporter at KMXT in Kodiak.

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