4K Video: Watch the Falcon 9 test fire its 1st stage engines (members only)

A break in thunderstorms streaming across Central Florida allowed a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule to blast off Thursday from Cape Canaveral in pursuit of the International Space Station with a new docking mechanism, a spacesuit and 40 mice acting as high-flying research specimens.

The mission will push the Falcon 9 first stage booster, B1062, into the flight leader position with this 22nd flight. Liftoff of the Starlink 10-3 mission is set for 7:14 a.m. EDT (1114 UTC).

With eyes on Tropical Storm Eta approaching South Florida, the four astronauts set to launch next Saturday on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Sunday after flying from their home base in Houston.