Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket conducts static fire test

SpaceX’s fifth launch for Iridium’s upgraded mobile communications network occurred at 7:13 a.m. PDT (10:13 a.m. EDT; 1413 GMT) Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The Falcon 9 rocket flew with a reused first stage, but SpaceX did not intend to recover the booster after Friday’s launch.

A new class of Boeing-built spacecraft will fly into orbit for the first time Sunday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, combining Boeing’s electric propulsion technology with SpaceX’s bargain launch prices to send up communications satellites at a fraction of the typical cost.

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday afternoon at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, clearing a major hurdle before it launches Saturday night — weather permitting — with a four-person crew heading for the International Space Station.