The much-delayed maiden flight of Lockheed Martin's new Atlas-3A rocket was a resounding success. The flight that lifted off at 23:10 GMT on 24 May, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, was carrying the communications satellite Eutelsat-W4. Despite its superficial resemblance to Atlas-2A, Atlas-3A is virtually an all new rocket using a Russian designed RD-180 first stage engine and a redesigned Centaur upper stage.
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