Live coverage: Delta 2 launches

Flying with an exceptionally lightweight payload, a Falcon 9 rocket delivered a multipurpose research satellite into a nearly 450-mile-high orbit Thursday for Taiwan following a smooth countdown and liftoff from California’s Central Coast.

A European Ariane 5 rocket lifted off Wednesday with the Hellas-Sat 3/Inmarsat S EAN satellite designed for television broadcasting and airborne connectivity in Europe, and India’s multipurpose GSAT 17 communications satellite. Launch from Kourou, French Guiana, occurred at 2115 GMT (5:15 p.m. EDT).

An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off at 0000 GMT Wednesday (8 p.m. EDT Tuesday) carrying a radar observation satellite to collect imagery in support of military, intelligence and environmental agencies.