A SpaceX rocket carrying Starlink satellites launched Tuesday evening from the California coast.
The Falcon 9 rocket launch window opened at 6:13 p.m. at Vandenberg Space Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara. After some delays, the rocket carried 21 Starlink Internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
After separation, the first stage booster landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific.
Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched 96 successful missions with its Falcon rockets in 2023, eclipsing its previous annual record of 61 orbital launches in 2022.
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The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear. Launches just after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun's rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky.
Sunset is scheduled for 4:55 p.m. Tuesday in Los Angeles. A cold storm is moving toward Southern California Tuesday with rain and snow possible later in the evening.
SpaceX has a Starlink constellation of satellites orbiting Earth about 340 miles up, shuttled into space by the company's rockets. The Starlink network is designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere around the globe.
If light conditions are right, the satellites appear in a train as they parade across the night sky. The satellites are sometimes visible in the first few minutes after sundown and before sunrise when the sun is below the horizon, but the satellites are high enough to reflect direct sunlight.
Use the FindStarlink tracker to find the best upcoming viewing times.
