A rocket successfully lifted off from the Central Coast Tuesday afternoon, carrying seven satellites into orbit.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried five small communication satellites into space, as well as two research satellites. The NASA research satellites contain instruments to map things like the melting of polar ice caps, and rising sea levels.
The 12:47 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base included the reuse of the same Falcon 9 booster used for a January launch for the Air Force.
The SpaceX team says the launch went as planned, except for efforts to recover what is designed as a reusable nose cone. An attempt to catch it using a specially designed boat was unsuccessful.
