A SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base lit up the Southern California sky on Sunday, Sept. 28.
The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket, which carried 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, took place just after 7 p.m.
The timing of the launch, which occurred shortly after sunset, created a snake of visible exhaust that could be seen from across the Southland.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket put on a show in the Southern California sky on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.
While rocket launches from Vandenberg are a common occurrence, those that take to the sky in the minutes following local sundown have particular potential to create a spectacle, as the exhaust expelled by spacecraft are are illuminated by sunlight at high altitude, despite the darkness at ground level.
The flight marked the 28th launch for the rocket’s first-stage booster, which landed on a remotely operated droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean, according to SpaceX.
It also represented a milestone for Vandenberg Space Force Base, officials said.
“Today we matched the total number of launches completed in 2024, marking the 51st space launch and missile test from the United States Space Force’s West Coast Spaceport and Test Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base in 2025,” base officials said in a written statement.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket put on a show in the Southern California sky on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.
“Each launch approved by the Vandenberg range is designated by the federal government to advance economic growth, bolster national security, and achieve national space objectives,” the statement added.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Did you see it? SpaceX rocket launch puts on show in SoCal sky