Video: Falcon 9 rocket fires engines in pre-launch test (members only)

SpaceX will sacrifice a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday in a fiery test a minute-and-a-half after liftoff from Florida’s Space Coast to prove the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft can safely push astronauts away from a failing launch vehicle, simulating a daring maneuver that would only be attempted on a piloted mission during an in-flight emergency.

Japan’s Epsilon rocket delivered a civilian-operated radar imaging satellite to orbit Wednesday on a mission to demonstrate the performance of a new commercial spacecraft design and collect all-weather imagery for use in emergencies, mapping and global surveillance.

The Starlink 10-11 mission features the first launch of a booster on its 30th flight. SpaceX is targeting liftoff of its Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at 4:12 a.m. EDT (0812 UTC).