This is the incredible moment a human captured a rocket flying into space from Elon Musk's SpaceX launch.
Footage from onlookers in Santa Barbara, California, shows a bright orange light rising into the sky after the launch of the Falcon 9 spacecraft carrying 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
Another eyewitness posted a similar video on X, formerly known as Twitter, of the rocket soaring high into the night sky with the caption: “That was pretty cool.”
The launch took place at 12:59 a.m. local time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A live webcast of the mission was broadcast on the company's social media pages.
SpaceX confirmed the successful deployment of the 22 satellites just after 2 a.m. PT, which the company says will help provide fast, low-latency connectivity worldwide.
Footage from onlookers in Santa Barbara, California, shows a bright orange light rising into the sky after the Falcon 9 launch, carrying 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit
The launch took place at 12:59 a.m. local time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A live webcast of the mission was broadcast on the company's social media pages
SpaceX confirmed the successful deployment of the 22 satellites just after 2 a.m. PT, which the company says will help provide fast, low-latency connectivity worldwide
Another eyewitness posted on
After the separation of the multi-stage rocket, the first stage of the spacecraft landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You,” which is stationed in the Pacific.
This was the 18th flight of the first booster stage in support of this mission, which previously included Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3 , Korea 425 and seven Starlink missions.
The company's recent launch has excited a large number of social media users. One wrote: “SpaceX continues to make history while we all sleep!”, while another said: “Always a pleasure to watch.”
SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk in 2002 with the aim of reducing the cost of space transportation and colonizing Mars.
The company currently operates the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets as well as the Dragon and Starship spacecraft.
Starlink is Musk's expensive satellite internet system that prides itself on offering an experience that requires minimal support and most elements, including setting up a dish, are managed through their app.
However, rural homeowners who have switched to the system have criticized the company's customer service.
While some villagers hailed Starlink as “life-changing”, other users, who pay £449 plus £75 a month, were annoyed by the lack of help available for connection problems.
When things are going well, the hands-off approach may be preferred, but it annoys users who flock to social media and Trustpilot to voice complaints.
It was reported that villagers had to endure endless road construction and makeshift traffic lights while ditches were dug and telegraph poles erected in preparation for a major digital launch in Stocksfield, Northumberland.
Slow broadband speeds are being felt across the country and experts tell Web there is “a lot of red tape” involved in connecting these rural areas.
Scientists are concerned about the potentially harmful effects of Musk's “space junk” and what impact it could have on Earth's orbit
Tired of waiting for faster broadband, some have switched to Musk's £449 satellite internet system, which helps connect the most remote parts of the British countryside using broadband from space.
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, told Web: “I wouldn't be surprised if more people took this route, just because of the wider problem of the rural broadband landscape, where households and people are clearly being left behind.”
Starlink has been praised for bringing internet to war-torn Ukraine, but astronomers fear the devices could soon impact our view of the cosmos – with around 9,000 stars visible from our planet.
New research has shown that low-frequency radio waves – like those produced by Musk's machines – are leaking into the sky, making it harder for scientists to make astronomical observations.
Scientists also fear that Musk's “space junk” could lead to an extreme collision. The “Kessler syndrome,” proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, states that if there is too much space debris in Earth orbit, the objects could collide and create MORE space debris. This would cause the Earth's orbit to become unstable.