SpaceX launches 88 satellites into orbit

The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket lifted off into a cloudy afternoon sky at 3:11 p.m. EST (1511 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station here in Florida, following a 24-hour delay due to a range violation caused by a wayward plane in the restricted airspace around the launch site.

Originally slated to blast off last Friday afternoon (June 25), the complex Transporter-2 mission was delayed a few days to allow for more prelaunch checkouts. And then another 24-hours due to a range violation. SpaceX was just seconds away from launching one of its used Falcon 9 rockets packed with small satellites when the plane entered the safety zone, prompting the teams to scrub Tuesday's launch attempt.

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