SpaceX completes static fire test, historic launch could come Saturday
On Sunday afternoon, SpaceX completed a static fire test of its Falcon 9 rocket in advance of a planned cargo launch to the International Space Station. During the short test all nine of its Merlin-1D engines fired while the rocket was clamped down. The upcoming launch is notable because it will be the company's first from the historic Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
SpaceX acquired rights to use the site in 2014 from NASA, signing a 20-year lease with the space agency. The launch pad has a storied history, with all of the crewed Apollo missions except for Apollo 10 lifting off from the pad, as well as the first 24 space shuttle missions.
