The glow from a SpaceX rocket will likely be visible for miles around Southern California Thursday night after it launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base and soars over the coast.
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit is scheduled to launch at 8:11 p.m. from the base northwest of Santa Barbara. Backup launch opportunities are available until 11:44 p.m. and again Friday at 7:50 p.m.
Click here to watch live coverage of the launch.
After separation, the first stage booster landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific.
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 5:43 p.m. Thursday in Los Angeles. Clear skies are in the forecast following days of clouds and rain.
A Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket soars like a candle over downtown LA Friday Dec. 8, 2023.
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.