SpaceX rocket sends first global water survey mission into orbit
LOS ANGELES: A SpaceX rocket blasted off early on Friday carrying a US-French satellite designed to conduct an unprecedented global survey of Earth's surface waters, a mission expected to shed new light on the mechanics and consequences of climate change. The Falcon 9 booster owned and operated by Elon Musk's commercial rocket company lit up the predawn sky along California's coast as it roared off its launch pad at the Vandenberg US Space Force Base, about 160 miles (260 km) northwest of Los Angeles. The liftoff, directed by NASA, was shown live on a US space agency webcast. The Falcon 9's upper stage, carrying the satellite, reached orbit within nine minutes. Moments earlier, the reusable lower stage separated from the rocket and flew itself back to Earth, unleashing sonic booms before slowing to a gentle landing at the base. The mission's payload, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite, or SWOT, was released to its own starting orbit ...