Q&A with Tim Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Relativity Space (members only)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is set to roll to its launch pad Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, a day before liftoff with a new-generation NOAA weather satellite. The launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a Spanish communications satellite is expected to be shuffled after the Atlas 5 flight in a rapid-fire launch sequence at the Florida spaceport this week.

Officials from NASA, research institutions and companies involved in the development and launch of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite briefed reporters in the mission Sunday, the day before its scheduled liftoff from Cape Canaveral.

Ready for its 40th launch, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is set to carry 31 satellites into orbit Friday, and these photos chronicle the rocket’s launch preparations.