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Launch Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Blasts Off On Landmark Satellite Mission

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SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Octaweb

SpaceX

The new circular Octaweb engine arrangement of SpaceX's nine Falcon 9 Merlin 1D engines is seen in this image.

SpaceX SES-8 Mission Falcon 9 Rocket on Launch Pad

SpaceX (via Twitter as @SpaceX)

SpaceX's Falcon 9 stands on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Florida, poised to launch the SES-8 mission on Nov. 25, 2013.

SES-8 Telecommunications Satellite

SpaceX

The SES-8 telecommunications satellite is an Orbital Sciences GEOStar-2 spacecraft that will provide communications coverage of the South Asia and Asia Pacific regions. This hybrid Ku- and Ka-band spacecraft weighs 6,918 lbs. (3,138 kg.) at launch.

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.