Live coverage: SpaceX finally launches Falcon 9 rocket

SpaceX decided to shift all Starlink missions flying on Falcon 9 rockets to the West Coast as it pushes towards the debut of its Starship-Super Heavy in Florida. Liftoff of the Starlink 15-24 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:26 a.m. PDT (10:26 a.m. EDT / 1426 UTC).

SpaceX has concluded fatigue on an engine cover caused one of the nine Merlin 1D first stage engines on the company’s most recent launch to shut down early during ascent, leading to the loss of the booster during an offshore landing attempt in the Atlantic Ocean, an official said Monday.

A multipurpose communications satellite owned by a South Korean telecom company is set for liftoff Monday from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster, and forecasters predict near-ideal conditions for a rocket launch.