Q&A with Claire Leon, director of launch enterprise directorate at SMC

SpaceX is still working on a new, safer helium tank design needed for launches with astronauts, and the debut of the company’s upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket earlier this month did not count as one of seven successful missions in “crew configuration” NASA says it requires before putting astronauts aboard the vehicle, officials said Thursday.

The Starlink 11-4 mission was the 111th orbital launch for SpaceX from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff happened at 3:02 p.m. PST (6:02 p.m. EST, 2302 UTC).

This video captures the final portion of the launch countdown and follows the Atlas 5 rocket’s flight through arrival in the preliminary orbit carrying the Curiosity rover headed for Mars. (Membership Required)