If you’re up late, look up.
A SpaceX rocket is scheduled to fly over the Southern California coast after liftoff at 11:04 p.m. Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara.
The Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to launch just after midnight Thursday, but the launch was canceled and another launch scheduled for Friday. SpaceX said the impact of Hurricane Hillary on First stage booster recovery in the Pacific Ocean.
Click the play button below to watch Thursday’s rocket launch.
It may be the rocket and its exhaust shaft visible for hundreds of miles As it rises south along the coast, if the sky is clear. Launches after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun’s rays against a dark sky background.
The rocket will carry 21 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit. The rocket’s first stage, on its 15th flight, will land on the Of Course I Still Love You drone stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
Four additional launch windows are available starting at 11:54 p.m. to 2:26 a.m. PST.
SpaceX has a Starlink constellation of satellites that orbit Earth at an altitude of about 340 miles, and are carried into space by the company’s rockets. The Starlink network is designed to provide high-speed Internet anywhere in the world.
If the lighting conditions are right, the satellites appear on the train as it projects across the night sky. The satellites are sometimes visible in the first few minutes after sunset 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 next best viewing times.
