CBS reports that another missile defense test failed today. Well, there’s another wasted $85 million … does the president realize that could build at least four schools? … or fund an entire HIV prevention program for a major city? … or save some whales? This, of course, doesn’t include the roughly $10 billion a year being spent on the program.

Here’s the best part of the article, which details how the interceptor missile didn’t even launch:

No date for the next test has been announced. It is unclear how continued test failures would affect two experimental interceptor bases in Alaska and California.

Those two bases, Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., are positioned to oppose the threat of attack from North Korea. Both are still classified as experimental but, officials say, they could fire interceptors in an emergency.

The Pentagon has not declared those bases “operational,” but officials say they would work anyway once certain mechanical blocks are removed from the interceptors themselves. Six interceptors are at the Alaska site, with two more in California as a backup. Up to 10 more will go into silos in Alaska this year, officials say.

Great news! If North Korea does decide to hurtle a nuke our way, we can rely on a multi-billion dollar defense system that is thwarted by rain. This article, from Business Week, dissects the program and includes the lovely detail that even in the 5 out of 8 successful tests, our missiles were basically screaming at the interceptors to hit the mark. BW reports:

What’s more, every time there is an attempt to intercept a missile, the target carries a beacon to tell the interceptor where it is — a service an enemy isn’t likely to offer.