A SpaceX rocket illuminated the night sky with its exhaust plume after launching Sunday from the Vandenberg Space Force Base near the Santa Barbara County coast.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched just after 7 p.m. and could be seen for miles across Santa Barbara, LA and Orange counties.
This was the 28th flight for the first stage booster supporting the mission to send dozens of Starlink satelites into orbit, according to SpaceX.
Several people on social media reported hearing a sonic boom, which the space company anticipated.
Watch Falcon 9 launch 28 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California https://t.co/J3cQKyrkS3
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 29, 2025
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.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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