SpaceX successfully launches, lands Falcon 9 rocket

SpaceX scrubs Falcon 9 rocket launch Thursday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX successfully launched and landed a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Friday afternoon after scrubbing the launch a day earlier.

[PICS: SpaceX to attempt launch from Cape | VIDEO: News 6 coverage of launch]

The weather was 60 percent favorable for the launch, which opened a two-hour window at 5:39 p.m. at Launch Complex 40. SpaceX successfully landed the Falcon 9’s first stage again bound for a touchdown on its “Of Course I Still Love You” ship, about 10 minutes after liftoff.

SpaceX on Thursday scrubbed its first attempt to launch the Thaicom 8 communications satellite, citing concern about an actuator on the 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage Merlin engine.

The company said then that the second attempt would come "no earlier than" Friday.

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