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• n  the initial ascent of a rocket from its launching pad

• JK: No, the Achilles heel has always been liftoff, and the dangers posed by massive fuel load involved.
• A star of XXX-rated movies talks about life and achieving liftoff.
• Less than twelve minutes after liftoff, a brief boost from the S-4B third stage placed Apollo into a circular 119-mile orbit at a velocity of 17,427 m.

News & Articles

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• Russian rocket explodes after liftoff
  An unmanned Russian rocket veered off course and exploded in a fireball Tuesday, seconds after liftoff from a launch pad in Kazakhstan.
  July 4, 2013 - CNN
• Unmanned Russian rocket explodes seconds after liftoff
  An unmanned Russian rocket veered off course and exploded in a fireball Tuesday, seconds after liftoff from a launch pad in Kazakhstan.
  July 2, 2013 - CNN
• Russian Rocket Crashes in Kazakhstan
  A rocket carrying satellites crashed moments after liftoff, sending a cloud of highly toxic fumes toward nearby towns as unspent fuel burned off.
  July 2, 2013 - New York Times

Quotes

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• Barack Obama in San Francisco Chronicle
  Houston, I think we've achieved liftoff,Obama told the cheering crowd - although half an hour into Obama's too-long speech, the crowd was less enthusiastic.
• AJ Graves in Forbes
  I got in some shooting yesterday,said Graves, the Horizon's second-leading scorer at 18.6 points a game. "Just having my stamina back and being able to have my legs and get the liftoff is what helped me get back into it so quickly."
• Jon Gruden in Kansas City Star
  He's running fast and we're really close to liftoff,Gruden said after Saturday's lone morning workout. "Around the league there are some really good receivers that aren't practicing the first week of training camp and I think we did the...