Live coverage: Falcon 9 disintegrates after launch

The astronauts assigned to fly SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft beginning later this year said Friday they are excited for the capsule’s first orbital mission set for launch Saturday, but significant work remains before the ship is cleared to carry people.

A Falcon 9 launcher bolted into the sky over Florida’s Space Coast on Friday, adding the brilliant orange glare of rocket exhaust to a spectacular sunset as the 229-foot-tall booster propelled the SES 9 communications satellite into orbit to serve the Asia-Pacific with high-definition television programming and connectivity on-the-go.

The mission is the second planned Falcon 9 launch for SpaceX in the span of six hours. Liftoff from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is targeting 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UTC).