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Rocket is seen as far as Arizona KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESSSpaceX’s Falcon 9 leaves a long vapor trail in the sky above Goleta after its launch early Thursday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was spotted by residents as far south as Anaheim and as far east as Arizona after its launch early Thursday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
In the blue twilight, SpaceX launched from Vandenberg at 6:14 p.m. with its payload of 53 Starlink satellites.
Before then, Falcon 9 stood on Space Launch Complex-4 on the south base. White clouds were seen around the top from the dispersal of liquid oxygen.
“Great news! All systems are a go for launch,” said Jessie Anderson, the SpaceX production and engineering manager, narrating SpaceX’s live webcast from the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne in the Los Angeles area.
After lift off, Falcon 9 rose through the sky and became a bright yellow burst of light punching through the clouds above Lompoc.
In the clear sky above Goleta, the rocket left a long white vapor trail.
The rocket reached Max Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket, at 1:12 (one minute, 12 seconds into the flight) after the launch. The first stage main engine cutoff, known as MECO, came at 2:27 (two minutes, 27 seconds into the flight), followed by the separation of the first and second stages at 2:31.
The first stage started its entry burn at 6:46 and completed it at 7:05.
The first stage landed right on target, within a circle on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, off the California coast. That was at 8:48 (eight minutes, 48 seconds into the flight).“Awesome view of the landing! Falcon has landed!” Ms. Anderson said during her narration.
Falcon 9 continued with its second stage, and the News-Press Thursday evening received reports from people who saw the rocket in the skies over Anaheim and Arizona.
email: dmason@newspress.com
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