Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket conducts static fire test

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.

The launch added another 13 satellites featuring Direct to Cell capabilities to SpaceX’s growing constellation. Liftoff happened at 5:07 a.m. PDT (8:07 a.m. EDT, 1207 UTC)

Meteorologists predict mostly sunny skies, mild temperatures and light winds Sunday for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Central Coast with a $364 million oceanography satellite for U.S. and European science institutions.