Photos: Pad cameras capture Atlas 5 launch

A break in thunderstorms streaming across Central Florida allowed a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule to blast off Thursday from Cape Canaveral in pursuit of the International Space Station with a new docking mechanism, a spacesuit and 40 mice acting as high-flying research specimens.

India’s space agency has released stunning video captured by cameras mounted on-board a rocket that launched this week with 104 satellites. Watch the spectacular replay of the launcher’s upper stage deploying a record number of payloads 300 miles above Earth.

This collection of photographs and videos shows the Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite No. 9 being encapsulated in the United Launch Alliance Delta 4 nose cone and hoisted atop the rocket for launch March 17 at 7:44 p.m. EDT (2344 GMT).