SpaceX launches 23 satellites on Falcon 9 rocket; dazzling display seen in skies above SoCal
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- Southern California residents who were looking up at the skies early Friday were treated to a dazzling display as SpaceX launched 23 satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
AIR7 captured an up-close look of the Starlink Mission launch immediately after takeoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Ventura County.
Observers could see the "twilight effect," making the rocket appear almost like a jellyfish in the sky.
The launch marked the 23rd flight for the first-stage booster supporting Friday's mission.
The rocket and its accompanying celestial light show were even visible to Bay Area residents, many of whom marveled at the rare sight after a Vandenberg launch.
Last week, SpaceX's Starship broke apart during liftoff and send trails of flaming debris near the Caribbean. The company suspected a fire may have caused the incident.
SpaceX's Elon Musk said preliminary indications are that leaking fuel built up pressure in the cavity above the engine firewall. The resulting fire would have doomed the spacecraft.
Also last week, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company had mixed results with the debut of its massive New Glenn rocket. It achieved orbit on its first try, putting a test satellite thousands of miles above Earth. But the booster was destroyed after failing to land on a floating platform in the Atlantic.
