A SpaceX rocket carrying more than four dozen Starlink satellites launched early Wednesday afternoon from the California coast
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off just after 1 p.m. California time from Vandenberg Space Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara. The rocket carried 51 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
You can watch the launch here.
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After separation, the first-stage booster will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
If needed, a backup launch window opens Thursday at 12:55 p.m. California time.
SpaceX has a Starlink constellation of satellites orbiting Earth about 340 miles up, shuttled into space by the Hawthorne-based company's rockets. The Starlink network is designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere around the globe.
If light conditions are right, the satellites appear in a train as they parade across the night sky. The satellites are sometimes visible in the first few minutes after sundown and before sunrise when the sun is below the horizon, but the satellites are high enough to reflect direct sunlight.
Use the FindStarlink tracker to find the best upcoming viewing times.
