For the second time in five days, a Falcon 9 rocket carried 20 Starlink satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday while creating a dramatic scene in the twilight sky.
The SpaceX rocket blasted off at 8:47 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-4, following a similar mission conducted Tuesday night.
The liftoff after sunset and into clear skies again provided the perfect backdrop for observing the rocket’s departure as the first-stage booster and two payload fairing halves fell back to Earth for reuse on future missions.
Residents in Las Vegas and San Diego posted pictures and video to social media of their views of the rocket’s travels.
For spectators in the Santa Maria Valley, the rocket’s launch competed with the nightly round of illegal fireworks.
Upon finishing its task, the first-stage booster, flying for the 11th time, landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles south of Santa Barbara County.
Deployment of the satellites took place approximately one hour after liftoff, SpaceX confirmed.
Of the 20 Starlink satellites, 13 have direct-to-cell capabilities, according to SpaceX.
“Satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities enable seamless access to data without phone modifications or special apps, providing peace of mind across land, lakes, and coastal waters,” SpaceX said.
However, the Starlink direct-to-cell service only will be available to customers of T-Mobile in the United States since the firm has inked deals with wireless providers in multiple countries.
SpaceX has launched more than 6,000 Starlink satellites from both California and Florida, including an East Coast mission earlier Sunday.
The launch also marked the third in six days from Vandenberg since a Minotaur rocket conducted a test of a new re-entry vehicle Monday night for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile fleet.
Meanwhile, Firefly Aerospace says it intends to launch its fifth Alpha rocket from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex-2, with that mission planned no earlier than June 26.
Firefly representatives said last week they completed a static fire test, a key milestone ahead of the planned upcoming liftoff.
