Heads up: SpaceX launch from Vandenberg lights up the sky

Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press
Updated ·1 min read

SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday, putting on a spectacular display in the western sky over the High Desert.

The company was initially targeting a Thursday liftoff, but ultimately pushed the launch back to Friday, then again to Saturday, before scheduling another attempt for 7:30 p.m. Monday, according to SpaceX. The spacecraft lifted off carrying 22 satellites into orbit to join SpaceX's growing Starlink internet network.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday, April 1, 2024.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday, April 1, 2024.

The timing of the launch allowed for a particularly vivid show as the rocket climbed to an altitude where sunlight was able to illuminate the rocket's exhaust plume.

The launch was the 15th flight of first-stage booster, which landed on SpaceX's "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

More: SpaceX rocket puts on a show over Southern California

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: SpaceX launches rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base