Videos: Previewing SpaceX’s eighth International Space Station resupply launch

Top officials from NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, could decide soon to commit to keeping the International Space Station staffed and flying through at least 2028, four years after the research lab’s current retirement date.

The Earth observing spacecraft will study clouds and aerosols to further our understanding of climate change. Liftoff happened at 3:20 p.m. PDT (6:20 p.m. EDT, 2220 UTC).

A Thai communications satellite is fastened to the top of SpaceX’s 229-foot-tall Falcon 9 rocket for launch Thursday. See photos of the Falcon 9 and Thaicom 8 being prepared for liftoff.