SpaceX has flown its last Block 4 version of the Falcon 9 rocket [Updated]

Enlarge / SpaceX launches NASA's TESS mission in April 2018. That booster may fly again Friday. (credit: SpaceX)

Friday am update: The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on schedule Friday morning from Florida, and put its Dragon spacecraft into a good orbit. After this primary mission, the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket is now undergoing an extended, four-orbit mission before it returns to Earth. This experimental flight should help demonstrate the upper stage's ability to perform direct insertion into geostationary orbit.

SpaceX's next launch should come about three weeks from now.

Original post: When SpaceX launches its 15th resupply mission to the International Space Station, possibly as early as Friday morning at 5:42am ET (09:42 UTC), the company plans to fly the Block 4 version of its Falcon 9 rocket for the final time.

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