Photos: Atlas 5 launches SBIRS GEO Flight 3

European engineers test-fired the world’s most powerful present-day single-segment solid rocket booster Monday in French Guiana, clearing a major development hurdle for the Vega-C and Ariane 6 launchers set for debuts in 2019 and 2020.

Assembly of a 19-story Atlas rocket started today for a commercial launch next month to aid Mexico’s telecommunications reform aimed at economic growth and the betterment of its societal welfare.

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.