Live views of launch pad 39A (members only)

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket deployed the Tiantong 1-03 satellite to provide mobile communications services after a successful launch Tuesday, the first of more than 40 Chinese space missions set for liftoff in 2021.

Nine Merlin main engines at the base of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fired at launch pad 39A Saturday, passing a major test before the company’s next launch, a secretive mission slated for liftoff Wednesday night.

NASA is working with the Russian space agency to potentially extend crew stays on the International Space Station, the agency’s acting administrator said last week, as a cushion against expected delays in the development of commercial crew capsules by Boeing and SpaceX.