SpaceX successfully launched Falcon 9 rocket from Florida

Experimental aerospace firm SpaceX on 12 February 2015 successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on its third attempt.

The rocket carried an unmanned Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite. This satellite will be used by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to monitor the Sun.

The satellite will collect the information on solar storms and will monitor changes in solar wind and provide warnings on hazardous outbursts from earth to warn forecasters. It will also help forecasters to predict changes which affect satellites, power grids and communication systems.

DSCOVR will be positioned at the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point, 1500000 kilometre away from Earth. The satellite will reach its final orbit in 110 days after launch. DSCOVR was jointly developed by NOAA, NASA and the United States Air Force.

About Falcon 9 rocket
• Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), a private space transport services company.
• It is basically used for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and Dragon spacecraft into orbit. It is powered by liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellants.
• In 2008, the Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule combination had won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract from NASA to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.