A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base shortly after sunset lit up the sky over San Diego in what is becoming a relatively common occurrence in Southern California.
The rocket lifted off at 7:30 p.m. and put 22 Starlink internet satellites into orbit.
The first stage, which had reportedly flown 14 times before, later landed successfully on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean.
The launch had originally be scheduled for Saturday, but was delayed by bad weather at the launch site near Santa Barbara.
SpaceX plans to launch a total 12,000 Starlink satellites to create a network offering global internet access.
The Falcon 9 is the world’s most reliable orbital-class rocket, with over 250 successful flights to date.
