Live coverage: Falcon 9 disintegrates after launch

Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket will deliver a Cygnus supply ship into orbit Saturday to begin a two-day pursuit of the International Space Station.

The Falcon 9 booster that dramatically flew back to Earth last month following a commercial satellite launch ignited again Friday in a hold-down test at SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral launch pad, days before the company is due to launch its next mission from California, officials said.

The Falcon 9 rocket supporting the Starlink 10-61 mission will fly on a north-easterly trajectory upon departing Florida’s Space Coast. SpaceX launched from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 UTC).