Education
Chumash said to 'curse' Air Force launch pad


A launch site at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is said to suffer from a Chumash "curse."

The base is located in Santa Barbara County, home to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. Space Launch Complex 6, the launch site, was built on top of a Chumash burial ground 40 years ago.

Chumash activists opposed the site but were unable to halt construction. That's when SLC-6 was supposedly cursed by a tribal leader.

Forty years and $2 billion later, SLC-6 has been plagued by failed programs and botched launches, according to Wired News. The Air Force has revised its plans for dealing with tribal sites but the curse allegedly remains.

Get the Story:
Tribal Curse Haunts Launch Pad (Wired News 6/27)

Relevant Links:
Vandenberg Air Force Base - http://www.vandenberg.af.mil