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Centaur’s second flight test succeeded, and its liquid hydrogen-fueled Pratt & Whitney engines achieved the first-ever rocket firing in space, on November 27, 1963. More failures in Centaur’s future would be overcome by an extraordinary record of successes and spectacular spaceflight firsts. Yet Centaur would remain the tortured target of cancellation attempts, incessant intrigue, eternal debate and ever-changing space policy for the next three decades. |