It was a spectacular nighttime launch from the Central Coast which propelled an Israeli satellite into orbit.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the Israeli Earth-imaging satellite EROS C-3 into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The launch occurred at 11:38 Thursday night. Less than ten minutes later, the Falcon 9 booster successfully landed back at the base.
It was the 61st SpaceX launch of 2022, the most in one year in the company's history.
Israeli officials say the satellite is designed for earth imaging, but the exact details of its mission are secret.