Live coverage: Falcon 9 disintegrates after launch

The Starlink 10-30 mission will add 28 more satellites to SpaceX’s low Earth orbit megaconstellation. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set for 3:57 a.m. EDT (0757 UTC) on Monday.

A Merlin engine designed for the version of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket that will carry astronauts into orbit for NASA failed during testing Saturday in Texas, but the company said its upcoming launches will not be affected by the accident.

The successful maiden flight of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket in February was enough for the U.S. Air Force to certify the huge booster to carry the military’s most precious cargo into orbit, beginning with the mid-2020 launch of a classified payload under a $130 million contract awarded last week.