The @spacex launch and SoCal palm trees. Best of what I shot. Great show, more please! #SpaceX
SpaceX rocket launch lights up California skies
Elon Musk’s SpaceX pulled off the first West Coast launch and landing of its reusable Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday night, lighting up the skies of California.
The rocket, carrying an Argentinian satellite, blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Santa Barbara, around 7:20 p.m. Sunday, and landed on a concrete pad at the base about 15 minutes later. All previous Falcon 9 launches had been from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Musk had tweeted a warning Saturday to residents of Southern and Central California: “Sonic boom warning. This won’t be subtle.”
The launch resulted in a technicolor swirl of light that was seen as far north as San Francisco. Here’s how it looked from ground level:
Billy Jensen✔@Billyjensen
Karl Mondon✔@karlmondon
A SpaceX launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base lights up the sky 250 miles north in a view from Mount Hamilton. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Kristen Walbolt✔@kWalbolt
Thanks, @SpaceX. We needed a reason to look up.
Veronica Miracle✔@ABC7Veronica
So incredible seeing the @SpaceX rocket launch!!! It stops you in your tracks. Stunning.
Mayor Eric Garcetti✔@MayorOfLA
Nope, definitely not aliens.
What you’re looking at is the first launch and landing of the @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the West Coast. The rocket took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 7:21 p.m. and landed safely back on Earth.
