Atlantis Soars Into Orbit on Secret Flight

Atlantis, newest star in America’s shuttle fleet, vaulted into orbit today on a secret maiden voyage, carrying a crew of five and two jam-proof, nuclear-hardened military communications satellites.

The $1.1-billion shuttle, the fourth and final one to be built, roared away from its launch pad at 11:15 a.m. after a blacked-out countdown and etched a fiery path in the sky as it sped into space with the two $100-million satellites in its cargo bay.

Sources said the launch was delayed 35 minutes until rain clouds moved out of the area.

The exact launch time was a public mystery until NASA and the Defense Department announced it just nine minutes before liftoff.

Defense officials said the secrecy would make it more difficult for Soviet satellites and spy ships offshore to monitor the flight.

Reported in Secure Orbit

Nine minutes after liftoff, Mission Control Center in Houston reported Atlantis was in a secure orbit.

Then the Pentagon put a security lid on the flight, saying it will make only two public announcements during the mission--one to report on the condition of the shuttle and crew, the second an “alert” that Atlantis will land exactly 24 hours later at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight is expected to last four or five days.

If serious trouble develops, it will be reported, defense officials said.

Atlantis’ first commander is Air Force Col. Karol Bobko, who has flown on two other shuttle missions. Other crew members are Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald Grabe, Army Lt. Col. Robert Stewart, Marine Maj. David Hilmers and Air Force Maj. William Pailes.

This is the second specifically Defense Department space shuttle mission. As on the first one, in January, the identity of the payload has leaked to news organizations.