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Fishing tournament, technical problem sink rocket’s launch attempt

Sunday, May 21, 2000 | 10:58 a.m.

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s new Atlas III rocket was poised to blast off for the fourth time in less than a week. But more than 70 fishing boats taking part in an annual charity competition failed to return to shore on time and, instead, lingered in the launch-danger area.

"There's a lot of good fishing at the port," the launch commentator sheepishly explained.

Rockets need a clear path below in case they malfunction and have to be blown up over the Atlantic.

After waiting two hours for the area to clear, launch managers finally resumed the countdown. But with only two minutes remaining, flight controllers saw a computer message they did not understand and the countdown was halted for good.

Launch officials said they would try again Sunday evening.

The Atlas III, grounded earlier in the week by bad weather and a slew of technical problems, is the first U.S. rocket to be equipped with a Russian engine. This is its debut.

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On the Net: Lockheed Martin Space Systems: http://www.ast.lmco.com

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