Residents of Southern California who saw a mysterious streak in the nocturnal sky can chalk it up to another SpaceX launch.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 25 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base to low-Earth orbit at 10:16 p.m. Monday, according to a post by the company.
The launch was streamed live on SpaceX’s website and X account.
The booster involved has already flown 13 missions, and was expected to land on a ship in the Pacific Ocean. This launch will bring Starlink’s total number of satellites in space to more than 10,000, according to Space Flight Now.
Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura county residents may have heard sonic booms during the launch, the company said.
Social media posts from Santa Monica to Huntington beach showed a red streak in the sky shortly before 10:30 p.m. Monday. Nearly 100,000 viewers were watching the livestream on X.
Although impressive for stargazers, SpaceX launches are not without controversy. As the company seeks to double the annual number of launches from Vandenburg Space Force Base — from around 50 to 100 — the California Coastal Commission has raised concerns about the effects on wildlife, and residents have noted disturbances from sonic booms. The government of Mexico has threatened to sue SpaceX over debris from its rockets.
