SpaceX successfully launches European telescope into orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket carrying the European Space Agency Euclid Telescope.

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SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the European Space Agency Euclid Telescope.

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The launch is scheduled for Saturday, July 1 at 11:12 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Euclid is designed to explore the composition and evolution of the dark universe and will make a 3D map of the universe by observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years, across more than a third of the sky.

The telescope will be launched to an observing orbit at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, NASA officials said.

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Lagrange points are positions in space where the gravitational pull of the Sun and Earth combine and allow small objects in that region of space to have the same orbital period (length of year) as Earth.

The first stage booster previously launched Ax-2. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, in the Atlantic Ocean.

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If needed, a second window is available Sunday, July 2 at the same time.

SpaceX set to launch telescope in orbit, will explore evolution of the dark universe SpaceX set to launch telescope in orbit, will explore evolution of the dark universe (Nikki DeMarco, WFTV.com/WFTV)

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