Rocket Launch Lights Up SoCal Sky

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — A SpaceX rocket launched from the Vandenberg Space Force station Thursday, once again carving up the sky with a glowing contrail.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:35 p.m carrying 20 Starlink satellites — including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities — to low-Earth orbit, according to SpaceX.

"This is the 19th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-7, Iridium OneWeb, SDA-0B, and 13 Starlink missions," SpaceX announced. "Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean."

Watch the rocket launch here.

Typically, rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base leave a glowing contrail that could be seen in the night sky for hundreds of miles across Southern California.

West Coast launches, once rare, are increasingly common. The last Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base took place in June.

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