A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off early Tuesday morning from the California coast in a National Reconnaissance Office mission.
The rocket launched at 5:19 a.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara and carried an undisclosed number of NRO satellites into space.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/BXZGTpzCEP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 17, 2024
The rocket's first stage landed on a droneship at sea.
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The National Reconnaissance Office is part of the United States Intelligence Community and an agency of the United States Department of Defense. The NRO designs, builds, launches, and operates U.S. federal government reconnaissance satellites
The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear. Launches just after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun's rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/RgHgLgQ2h3
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 17, 2024
