The Space X Falcon 9 rocket appears to have passed an important step, with the launch Tuesday afternoon of a telecommunications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit.
Space X was founded by Elon Musk, who also founded Tesla Motors. It hopes to revolutionize the launch business by making it easier and cheaper to dispatch rockets that may one day carry people to other planets.
Tuesday's launch, the seventh flight for the rocket, occurred at 5:41 p.m. EST (22:41 GMT) from Cape Canaveral in Florida and required Space X to perform a significantly more difficult task than it has with prior launches.
Rather than simply send a payload into space, the launch of a communications satellite requires a two-step burn of the rocket's engines. The satellite first needs to be taken to a parking orbit and then, after a few minutes, engines are reignited to carry the satellite into geostationary transfer orbit.
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