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ULA launches Atlas V rocket from Florida’s Space Coast

SpaceX opens doubleheader launch day on Florida’s Space Coast

Left: SpaceX facility in Florida, Right: ULA's Atlas V rocket (AP & ULA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – It shaped up to be a doubleheader launch day on Florida’s Space Coast.

At 8:57 a.m., SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carried 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The mission marked the 16th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster assigned to this launch.

[WATCH: SpaceX launches Starlink mission]

Following stage separation, the booster touched down on SpaceX’s droneship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Not to be outdone, ULA rolled its Atlas V rocket to its Cape Canaveral launch pad ahead of its planned Friday launch.

The rocket ultimately took off around 7:53 p.m., carrying 29 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper as part of the Leo 7 mission.

The payload matches the largest and heaviest ever carried by the Atlas V. With a successful launch, ULA will have delivered 168 Amazon satellites into orbit.