Home / Science / SpaceX Lights Up Night Sky Over California
SpaceX Lights Up Night Sky Over California
17 Mar
Summary
- SpaceX Falcon 9 launch carries 25 Starlink satellites.
- This launch surpasses 10,000 Starlink satellites in orbit.
- Residents may experience sonic booms from the booster.
SpaceX successfully launched 25 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Monday, March 17, 2026, from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The launch, occurring at 10:16 p.m. PST, marked a major milestone, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites deployed by the company to over 10,000. The mission utilized a Falcon 9 rocket booster that had previously completed 13 missions. The booster was scheduled for a controlled landing on a SpaceX vessel in the Pacific Ocean. Residents in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties were alerted to the possibility of hearing sonic booms as the rocket ascended. The live broadcast of the launch was available on SpaceX's website and X account.
