Photos: Falcon 9 launch from Press Site

A joint oceanography research mission developed by Chinese and French scientists launched Monday on top of a Long March 2C rocket from the Jiuquan space center in remote northwestern China.

The next Delta 4-Heavy rocket was raised vertical Friday at Cape Canaveral, signaling the start of a comprehensive series of pre-flight tests before liftoff next year with a top secret U.S. government spy satellite.

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched two satellites Sunday to become the eighth and ninth spacecraft added to the country’s Beidou navigation system so far this year.