The tail cone of a Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 separated in mid-flight, falling into a residential neighborhood adjacent to the unit’s base at the Jackson Airport on Wednesday, the local Clarion-Ledger reported. The large fairing caused no injuries or significant property damage when it plunged into a street, bouncing into a local resident’s yard at approximately 7 p.m. local time, Jan. 6. “This incident is currently under investigation to help prevent any future occurrence,” National Guard spokesman Army Lt. Col.? Christian Patterson said in a statement quoted by the press. “The safety of our Mississippi National Guard personnel and everyone in our communities is a top priority,” he added. The aircraft, which is assigned to the 172nd Airlift Wing, was conducting a routine training sortie at the time of the mishap and landed without further incident at Jackson.
The Space Development Agency added 21 satellites to its nascent data transport network in an Oct. 15 launch, the second mission in a 10-month campaign to field 154 operational spacecraft.
