SpaceX Falcon 9 launch lights up Central California sky - VIDEO
A spectacular sight over Central California left many residents asking, "What was that?"
The display appeared as a towering plume of white smoke dotted with glowing spots—an unmistakable sign of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base along the Central Coast, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
An absolutely incredible SpaceX Launch over the Southern California skies tonight pic.twitter.com/LCMBW1i97v
— OC Scanner 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@OC_Scanner) April 7, 2026
The rocket was carrying 25 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. About two and a half minutes after launch, the rocket’s first and second stages separated.
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The second stage continued into space, while the first stage safely returned to Earth, landing on a drone ship off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.
While SpaceX typically launches from Vandenberg about once a week, this launch stood out due to the clear skies and the timing just after sunset. The rocket caught sunlight at higher altitudes, making it highly visible across much of the Valley and creating a memorable spectacle for onlookers.
By Nijat Babayev
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