Photos: New GPS navigation satellite powered from Earth

SpaceX carried the Israeli-owned Amos 17 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral into orbit Tuesday on top of a Falcon 9 launcher, nearly three years after a SpaceX rocket explosion destroyed a predecessor payload before it could get off the ground.

United Launch Alliance crews at Cape Canaveral are finishing final preparations for an Atlas 5 rocket launch Saturday evening to dispatch three U.S. military satellites directly to an orbital perch more than 20,000 miles over the equator.

An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launched with 14 satellites, including a dozen “SuperDove” Earth-imaging CubeSats for Planet, at 10:58 p.m. EST Tuesday (0358 GMT Wednesday).