Live coverage: Dragon supply ship back on Earth

Investigators probing the Sept. 1 explosion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on its launch pad in Florida believe a high-pressure gas tank inside the launcher’s upper stage most likely burst due to the conditions of the helium loaded into it, a finding that could simplify fixes needed before the commercial booster can return to service.

The Starlink 12-3 mission was the 230th orbital launch for SpaceX from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff happened at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 UTC) on Tuesday.

The mission represents the fifth pair of Boeing-built O3b mPOWER satellites to launch into medium Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday, July 22, at 5:12 p.m. EDT (2112 UTC).