A weather satellite that will help the military plan air, sea and ground operatios was launched Saturday into a near-polar orbit, the Air Force said. An Atlas E booster blasted off with a payload for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The satellite went into orbit about five minutes later about 500 hundred miles above Earth. ``It's going to take 20 days or so to fully check out the satellite and make sure it's working properly,'' said Staff Sgt. Tom Clements. ``From what we can see, everything looks picture perfect.'' Meteorology information gathered by optical scanners on the satellite will be used by all branches of the military to aid commanders planning air, sea and ground operations, the Air Force said. The satellite cost about $40 million to build in 1981, Clements said. By today's dollars, the price tag is closer to $60 million. The Atlas E program costs $30 million to $40 million per year to launch two payloads, he said. The satellite will allow forecasters to track existing and developing weather patterns over remote areas. It will also be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and similar civilian agencies.
