MIAMI - A $340 million satellite that aims to alert people to potentially dangerous solar activity and geomagnetic storms blasted off toward deep space Wednesday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Experts say the DSCOVR -- a joint collaboration of the U.S. Air Force, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -- will help with the preparation and response to "space weather," thereby protecting utilities, consumers and industries.
"The Falcon takes flight, propelling the Deep Space Climate Observatory on a million mile journey to protect our planet Earth," said NASA commentator George Diller as the rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 6:03 pm (2303 GMT).
An attempt to land the first stage on a floating barge in January was not successful. Instead of landing upright, the rocket collided with the platform and broke into pieces.
But the company said it intends to keep trying to refine the technology.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015
