In the deserts of New Mexico, the group of scientists and administrators stand out in the sun, peering from a safe distance at a giant upright circular disc with what looks like a vertical chimney attached. The countdown reaches zero, and after two puffs of smoke a missile shoots from the chimney and up into the atmosphere.
Watching the video from the spinning missile’s downfacing camera (see the YouTube link at the end of this article), your first thought might be – ‘Thank God I’m not aboard that one!’