http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/09/space-x-falcon-9-launch.jpgWhile most of the news about SpaceX has surrounded the Grasshopper lately, the firm has been plugging away at its Falcon rocket, too. This just-launched Falcon 9 (dubbed version 1.1) boasts 60 percent more powerful engines, longer fuel tanks and according to the Global Post](http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130929/spacex-falcon-9-blasts-california), other new features that were designed to boost lift capacity and “simplify operations for commercial service.” To that end, the spacecraft was carrying a science and communications satellite for Canada’s MDA Corp. when it left Earth’s atmosphere. The take-off comes just over five years after the first Falcon’s departure, and its itinerary will take it around both poles. Just remember, for a cool $56.5 million](http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities) you *too *can send a Falcon 9 into space.
Filed under: Transportation, Science
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Via: YouTub
Source: SpaceX (YouTube), SpaceX (Twitter)