The first Atlas 3B is targeted for March or April of 2001, and Atlas 5 will debut in March 2002. Atlas 3 flights will continue in 2002 and 2003 to provide a stable overlap during the introduction of Atlas 5, should problems develop with the new launcher. Karas believes the sales will pick up if Monday's launch is successful. I think there is a lot of pent up demand in the marketplace. The best sales events are our launches.
Officials know the space business can be a roller-coaster of emotions.
One moment you feel the incredible thrill and pride of watching a rocket scream off the launch pad. The next can be the gut-wrenching agony of defeat as a fireball fills the sky from an exploding rocket. Mission poster for AC-201. The first launch of any rocket is dicy. Some historians put the odds of a successful maiden launch at about 50 percent.