Video: SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket at pad 40 (members only)

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk on Tuesday outlined an ambition to send humans to Mars with methane-fueled reusable spaceships and the largest rocket ever built, an effort he said will likely require government support and initially cost billions of dollars to develop and test.

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.

Japan launched an optical reconnaissance satellite from the Tanegashima Space Center Sunday aboard an H-2A rocket after a 12-day delay caused by a nitrogen leak.