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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Symphonie-B, second in a series of French-West German experimental communications satellites, was launched aboard a Delta rocket from Pad A at Complex 17 at 9:42 p.m. EDT today. The satellite will be placed in a synchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the equator at 11.5 degrees west latitude. Launch was by KSC’s Unmanned Launch Operations Directorate. The launch was the first from Pad A since that of Orbiting Solar Observatory 7 in September 1971. The pad has undergone extensive modifications to prepare it to handle the larger solid strap-on rocket motors to be used in future Delta space missions. Photo credit: NASA Photo credit: NASA