Watch live as SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket with a NASA X-ray observatory

SpaceX is counting down to liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) Thursday from launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9 will deploy into orbit NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer spacecraft, an X-ray astronomy mission to study black holes and neutron stars. If you would like to support our coverage please consider becoming a Spaceflight Now Member: