SpaceX launch lights up Southern California skies

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch lit up the skies over Southern California Monday night as it made its way into low-earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.  

The first stage booster, which completed its 23^rd flight this evening, was originally supposed to launch Sunday night, though SpaceX officials pushed it back a day.  

Residents in Santa Barbabra, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and parts of Los Angeles counties were able to see the rocket’s fiery trail as it carried 23 Starlink satellites into orbit.  

Footage of the launch captured by Sky5 showed its trajectory in the night skies over Los Angeles with it’s fiery plume changing from bright orange to white hot.  

In a flight less than 9 minutes long, the Falcon 9 released its payload into low-earth orbit and returned to the “Of Couse I Love You” drone ship stationed in the Pacific Ocean where it safely landed.  

The satellites help support high-speed internet in remote, rural areas of the world. SpaceX has completed 445 of these missions, including 406 landings and 377 re-flights. 

The entire launch can be seen from cameras set up at Vandenberg Space Force Base as well as on the Falcon 9 rocket itself at SpaceX’s website.