In a view from Montecito, the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries its payload of Starlink satellites into space after launching at 7:50 p.m. Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
In a view from Montecito, the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries its payload of Starlink satellites into space after launching at 7:50 p.m. Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Bill Macfadyen / Noozhawk photo

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s departure Monday evening after sunset delivered a sight in the skies as it rose away, the first of possible two liftoffs planned hours apart at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, the two-stage rocket blasted off into the twilight skies above the Central Coast.

It was one of two launches set to occur within 12 hours from Vandenberg, where Northrop Grumman’s Minotaur IV is scheduled to launch military and other payloads Tuesday morning. That mission from Space Launch Complex-8 is set to occur between 4:30 p.m. and 8:45 a.m.

SLC-8 currently is the most southern active launch facility at Vandenberg. It’s not visible from Ocean Avenue, Vandenberg Village or other off-base viewing sites.

Minotaur will carry the Space Test Program (STP)-S29A mission made up of a variety of Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force and academic institution payloads, including: STPSat-7, Auburn University‘s ASTRA-HyRAX, Texas A&M University‘s AggieSat6, in addition to others. 

Employing three stages furnished by the government from retired Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles and a new commercial upper stage, the Minotaur IV carries smaller government payloads, up to 3,800 pounds, into space. 

  • The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket contrail begins to twist in the wind after it April 6 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
    The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket contrail begins to twist in the wind after it April 6 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Bill Macfadyen / Noozhawk photo
  • In a view from Montecito, the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries its payload of Starlink satellites into space after launching at 7:50 p.m. April 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
    In a view from Montecito, the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries its payload of Starlink satellites into space after launching at 7:50 p.m. April 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Bill Macfadyen / Noozhawk photo
  • In a view from Montecito, the first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket races into the sky after launching at 7:50 p.m. April 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
    In a view from Montecito, the first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket races into the sky after launching at 7:50 p.m. April 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Bill Macfadyen / Noozhawk photo
  • In a view from Montecito, the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries its payload of Starlink satellites into space after launching at 7:50 p.m. April 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
    In a view from Montecito, the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries its payload of Starlink satellites into space after launching at 7:50 p.m. April 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Bill Macfadyen / Noozhawk photo
  • The contrail of the April 6 SpaceX launch twists in the evening sky over Santa Barbara’s Mesa neighborhood.
    The contrail of the April 6 SpaceX launch twists in the evening sky over Santa Barbara’s Mesa neighborhood. Credit: Elizabeth Brooks photo

It’s an expendable rocket, so no landing is planned. The spent stages will be ditched in the ocean.

There’s no word of a webcast for this mission. SLC-8’s location means the rocket can’t be seen sitting on the launch pad. 

Meanwhile, Monday’s launch of the Falcon rocket, much bigger than Minotaur, was the inaugural mission for the brand-new booster, carrying a cargo of 25 Starlink satellites. 

After successfully landing on the droneship in the Pacific Ocean, the booster will be returned to Vandenberg so it can carry out another mission in the future.

Launches just before sunrise or right after sunset can deliver dramatic displays seen hundreds of miles away from the Central Coast.

The twilight phenomenon occurs when a rocket’s contrail is illuminated by sunlight while spectators are located in darkness. When unspent fuel particles condense, freeze and expand, it can create a colorful and dramatic sight.

The fourth and final stage of a Northrop Grumman Minotaur IV rocket is secured at Space Launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg Space Force Base last month.
The fourth and final stage of a Northrop Grumman Minotaur IV rocket is secured at Space Launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg Space Force Base last month. Credit: Senior Airman Kevin Hernandez / U.S. Space Force photo

It typically prompts residents across the southwest to post pictures on social media, sharing their delight at capturing the spectacle.

Previously, spectators mistakenly suspected the effect meant a failed mission, especially as winds swirled the contrail. 

While the SpaceX has captured the spotlight with twilight launches, other rockets, including the now-retired Delta II vehicle and the Pegasus rocket, have created their own twilight displays.

More than an hour after Monday’s launch, SpaceX confirmed that the 25 Starlink satellites had deployed as planned.

Vandenberg’s next Starlink launch is planned for Friday evening.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.