A Big Lift

A reluctant Congress has authorized only $625 million for the MX missile, and President Reagan may never get all 100 weapons he has requested. Last Friday, however, the Administration got something it badly wanted: a successful first test flight of the 97.5-ton, four-stage, 76-ft. MX.

The ICBM was propelled out of a canister by a burst of steam. Then a solid-fuel engine kicked in, and the missile began its 4,100-mile flight from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. In 30 minutes, its six dummy warheads splashed down where they were aimed in the South Pacific, near Kwajalein atoll. The target was apt: in the same Marshall Islands chain is Bikini atoll, site of the first peacetime atomic blast 36 years ago next week.