Launch of new Atlas rocket set today

The Atlas 5 can carry more than four tons.

(CNN) -- One of the most powerful rockets since the Saturn 5, which took the Apollo astronauts to the moon, will make its debut on Wednesday, blasting into orbit from a launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Atlas 5, which uses Russian-built engines in the first of two stages, is expected to lift off between 6:05 p.m. and 7:34 p.m. EDT, carrying a European-built telecommunications satellite.

Forecasters predict a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather conditions for the launch of the new Atlas, which cost an estimated $1.5 billion to develop.

The next-generation rocket was built at the behest of the U.S. Air Force, which sought a more powerful launch vehicle to send payloads into space.

It is designed to send more than four tons of cargo into geostationary orbit, which is about 22,241 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the Earth's surface.

For the launch, the Lockheed Martin-built Atlas 5 will carry the Hotbird 6, a Eutelsat satellite that will deliver television and radio programming across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Space officials expressed confidence in the new design. Previous Atlas rockets have flown 60 times without a hitch over the past nine years.

"We are committed to mission success, as evidenced by Atlas' enviable record. All Atlas variants -- Atlas 1, 2, 2A, 2AS, 3 -- have had successful inaugural missions," said Mark Albrecht, president of International Launch Services, which organizes Atlas launches.