SpaceX successfully launches rocket this morning in SoCal
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 6:17 a.m. Thursday morning and created a brief light show over Southern California.
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Shortly after liftoff, Spain’s PAZ satellite successfully entered orbit. The satellite carries an instrument to make radar images of the Earth for government and commercial purposes.
But documents cited by multiple media outlets indicated that the rocket also deployed a pair of demonstration satellites.
They are part of Elon Musk’s vision to create a space-based broadband network providing worldwide affordable internet access.
SpaceX wanted to send the Falcon 9 rocket of the PAZ satellite into low-Earth orbit.
Southern Californians had been hoping for a repeat of the spectacle that occurred Dec. 22 when a Falcon 9 lifted off at twilight during exceptionally clear weather, triggering a social media storm.
Wednesday morning’s attempt was scrubbed due to strong upper-level winds.
Successful deployment of PAZ satellite to low-Earth orbit confirmed. pic.twitter.com/xOEuyaFrcZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 22, 2018
The satellite was set to deploy approximately eleven minutes after launch.
SpaceX did not attempt to recover Falcon 9’s first stage after launch.
