SpaceX Rocket Launch of Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center for First Time

SpaceX have successfully launched a Falcon 9 full thrust rocket from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A for the first time carrying the unmanned Dragon CRS-10 cargo spacecraft for NASA. It will arrive full of cargo to the International Space Station on Wednesday 22nd. Liftoff occurred at 14:39 UTC, February 19th 2017. This launch marked the first for Launch Pad 39A since STS-135 back in 2011 when the Shuttle program ended and overall for SpaceX was the 30th Falcon 9 launch.

The plan is for 39A to host all Dragon missions as well as National Security missions and commercial flights will use the currently under repair Space Launch Complex 40 over in Cape Canaveral.

Around 8 minutes into flight the Falcon 9 first stage successfully touched down at Landing Zone 1 of Cape Canaveral, marking the 3rd time they have returned to the launch site and the first to do so during daytime hours.