Twenty Starlink satellites were launched into space early Wednesday morning when a SpaceX rocket launched from the Santa Barbara County coast.
The rocket soared over the Southern California coast after the 5:07 a.m. launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara.
The rocket’s first stage landed on a droneship at sea.
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.
The rocket can produce a sonic boom that may be heard for miles around.
Starlink is a satellite-based internet system that SpaceX has been building for years to bring internet access to underserved parts of the world.
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.