▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁Isaac ▁As im ov ' s ▁Foundation ▁tr il ogy ▁on ▁a ▁ 5 D ▁optical ▁disc , ▁a ▁proof ▁of ▁concept ▁for ▁high - dens ity ▁long - last ing ▁data ▁storage , ▁don ated ▁to ▁Mus k ▁by ▁the ▁Arch ▁Mission ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁Tra ject ory ▁ ▁The ▁US ▁Office ▁of ▁Com mer cial ▁Space ▁Transport ation ▁issued ▁the ▁test ▁flight ' s ▁launch ▁license ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁The ▁ro cket ▁lifted ▁off ▁from ▁La unch ▁Complex ▁ 3 9 A ▁at ▁Kennedy ▁Space ▁Center ▁at ▁ 1 5 : 4 5 ▁E ST ▁( 2 0 : 4 5 ▁UTC ) ▁on ▁February ▁ 6 . ▁The ▁upper ▁stage ▁supporting ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁initially ▁placed ▁in ▁an ▁Earth ▁par king ▁orbit . ▁It ▁spent ▁six ▁hours ▁coast ing ▁through ▁the ▁Van ▁Allen ▁radiation ▁bel ts , ▁thereby ▁demonstr ating ▁a ▁new ▁cap ability ▁requested ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁for ▁direct ▁insert ion ▁of ▁heavy ▁intelligence ▁sat ell ites ▁into ▁ge ost ation ary ▁orbit . ▁Then , ▁the ▁upper ▁stage ▁performed ▁a ▁second ▁boost ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁desired ▁escape ▁traject ory . ▁ ▁The ▁launch ▁was ▁live ▁stream ed , ▁and ▁video ▁fe eds ▁from ▁space ▁showed ▁the ▁Road ster ▁at ▁various ▁angles , ▁with ▁Earth ▁in ▁the ▁background , ▁thanks ▁to ▁cam eras ▁placed ▁inside ▁and ▁outside ▁the ▁car , ▁on ▁bo oms ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁vehicle ' s ▁custom ▁adapt or ▁at