Watch a 4K video replay of the Falcon 9 static fire (members only)

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday at Cape Canaveral, a critical test before liftoff Wednesday with several tons of cargo heading to the International Space Station.

The U.S. Space Force expects to complete design validation on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket by July, ahead of the launch of the military’s first high-priority national security mission on the heavy-lifter late this year.

SpaceX’s Dragon supply ship departed the International Space Station on Wednesday, fired rocket thrusters to brake out of orbit, and parachuted to a picture-perfect splashdown in the Pacific Ocean with approximately 3,461 pounds of experiment samples and equipment.