NASA Successfully Launches ICON Satellite Off Florida Coast

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th October, 2019) The Pegasus XL rocket with the ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) satellite was successfully launched on Friday from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA said.

"At 9:59 pm ET, our #NASAICON satellite successfully air-launched over the Atlantic Ocean on @northropgrumman's #PegasusXL rocket! Now in orbit, our ICON mission will help scientists better understand the dynamic region where Earth meets space," NASA wrote on Twitter.

The launch of the Pegasus XL, which belongs to the Northrop Grumman company, was scheduled for 01:30 GMT, but delayed due to bad weather.

Initially scheduled for 2017, the launch was postponed three times due to technical problems with the Pegasus XL.

The ICON satellite is designed to study the physics of the space environment.