Video: Falcon 9 rocket fires engines in pre-launch test (members only)

A small spacecraft attempting to become the first privately-funded probe to accomplish a controlled landing on the moon likely fell to the lunar surface after running out of fuel Tuesday, according to the Japanese company ispace, which managed the mission.

SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket ignited its Merlin main engines for several seconds Thursday at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A ahead of a planned launch next week.

SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket from California on Friday. Liftoff from pad 4E occurred Friday at 10:14 p.m. PST (1:14 a.m. EST, 0614 UTC on Saturday).