SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Cape Canaveral

People lined the fishing pier at Jetty Park at Port Canaveral for a view of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center's historic pad 39A.

The first launch from pad 39A since the shuttle Atlantis lifted off in July 2011 was a psychological boost for the space center eager to show it had evolved into more than just a NASA spaceport.

The 210-foot rocket carrying a Dragon cargo craft quickly disappeared into clouds after the 9:39 a.m. liftoff from KSCÕs pad 39A, where Apollo astronauts launched to the moon and shuttle astronauts last set sail nearly six years ago.

Minutes later, the rocketÕs first stage did something the historic missions never contemplated, flipping around above the atmosphere and flying back to Cape Canaveral for a soft landing that unleashed powerful sonic booms across the area.