Live coverage: Two-man crew departs space station, returns home

The next stepping stone in China’s human spaceflight program launched Thursday, delivering a destination and living quarters to orbit for two astronauts preparing for liftoff next month on a planned 33-day expedition, the country’s longest space mission to date.

Follow the major events during the launch of Europe’s LISA Pathfinder gravitational probe testbed, from liftoff of its Vega rocket booster from French Guiana through deployment into its initial orbit.

A Soyuz booster and Fregat upper stage successfully carried a missile warning satellite into orbit Friday for the Russian military.