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.
SpaceX’s kerosene-fueled rocket fired up at 6:35 p.m. EST (2335 GMT) on its fifth launch attempt in nine days.
Previous countdowns were called off after technical problems cropped up with the Falcon 9’s super-chilled liquid oxygen propellant. A cargo barge also ventured into a keep-out zone in the Atlantic Ocean, and upper level winds kept the rocket on the ground for several days this week.
The photos below released by SpaceX show the Falcon 9 rocket taking off from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad and heading east over the Atlantic Ocean.
Read our full story for more details on the mission.
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