Rocket carrying new nuclear missile component explodes in late-night test

The first test launch of a key component of America's future land-based nuclear missiles went off without a hitch.

The rocket blew up about 10 seconds after it was launched from California.

There were no injuries in the explosion and the debris was contained to the launch pad.

The cause of the accident will be investigated by officials.

The next-gen nuke has a new name.

The upper segment of the current Minuteman III nuke is used in the creation of the Minotaur II+.

Live tests of missile bodies without a nuclear warhead are held at Vandenberg to check on the aging ICBMs.

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center said the practice missile was carrying a Mark 21A reentry vehicle, which is a real warhead.

The data gathered by military officials will help shape the prototype system into the final product.

The training unit is likely to be located at Vandenberg.

The Air Force has contracted with Lockheed Martin to redesign the Mk21A to carry 300-kiloton W87-1 nuclear warheads, 15 times the explosion power of the "Fat Man" bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945

The W78 is one of the oldest warheads in the stockpile, and the W87-1 modification program provides improvement in warhead security, safety and control.

Future warhead designs are expected to be accommodated by the updated reentry vehicle, which carries the warhead to the edge of space in an arcs before gliding down to its target.

The 400 nuclear missiles in underground silos across Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota will be replaced by sentinel ICBMs.