Q&A with Keith Gendreau, principal investigator of the first X-ray space communications experiment (members only)

Officials will likely set a new launch date Thursday for a SpaceX-owned commercial cargo craft that was expected to take off Friday heading for the International Space Station, according to sources familiar with launch preparations.

The Starlink 11-39 mission lifted off from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:06 a.m. PDT (10:06 a.m. EDT / 1406 UTC). The Falcon 9 rocket flew on a south-easterly trajectory.

Scientists have confirmed the first zoomable camera on Mars is in top-top shape since arriving aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover in February, adding a long-distance survey capability to the robot’s scientific toolkit. The camera is now ready to capture high-definition video of the Ingenuity helicopter’s first flight in the Martian atmosphere later this month.