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Spectacular! A SpaceX rocket takes off from the Central Coast, with the flight visible for hundreds of miles

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday night.
SpaceX
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday night.

The Falcon 9 rocket carried more than 50 satellites into orbit Thursday night.

Thousands of people throughout the Tri-Counties, and beyond saw a spectacular sight Thursday night.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, which carried more than 50 small satellites into orbit from the Central Coast

SpaceX put on a real show, with the launch coming right at sunset. The Falcon 9 rocket, and its contrail was clearly visible throughout much of the state.

A view of Thursday night's SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Ventura County.
Lance Orozco
/
KCLU
A view of Thursday night's SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Ventura County.

The rocket carried 53 StarLink satellites into orbit. They are part of a growing network of small satellites intended to provide internet service to underserved parts of the globe.

The first stage rocket landed on a barge off of Baja California, so it can be reused.

It’s the busiest year for flights in SpaceX history. This was its 49th flight in 2022.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.