Live coverage: European ocean survey satellite launches from Russia

SpaceX’s fired the engines of its Falcon Heavy rocket at launch pad 39A at 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) on Wednesday. The crucial pre-launch engine test has been repeatedly delayed since the rocket returned to the launch pad earlier this month.

Japan’s third navigation satellite rode an H-2A rocket into orbit Saturday from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, one week after officials aborted a countdown to resolve a helium leak in the vehicle’s first stage. Liftoff occurred at 0529 GMT (1:29 a.m. EDT) Saturday.

SpaceX and Arianespace recently announced plans to launch rideshare missions to sun-synchronous and geostationary orbit, dedicating big rocket capacity for small satellites as the U.S.-based launch broker Spaceflight committed to using a new Indian microsatellite launcher set to debut later this year.