National Affairs: Another Thor

From its launching pad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Missile Test Center one morning last week, an Air Force Thor rose majestically into the air and, trailing fire, soared off smoothly on a long journey over the Atlantic. "Beautiful!" gasped a starry-eyed missile buff. But even more beautiful to the Air Force was the distance the missile traveled before plummeting into the sea: some 2.000 miles, 500 more than its nominal "intermediate range" capability, and 700 more than the first successful test Thor flew last month.

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