A SpaceX rocket blasts off Monday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base, leaving a contrail behind in the moonlight.
A SpaceX rocket blasts off Monday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base, leaving a contrail behind in the moonlight. Credit: Contributed photo

A Falcon 9 rocket filled with Starlink satellites ushered in a new month of liftoffs at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The SpaceX rocket blasted off at 9:28 p.m. Monday from Space Launch Complex-4, before the first-stage booster safely landed on the droneship in the Pacific Ocean.

Launch team members noted “nominal orbit insertion” as the rocket’s second stage continued its portion of the mission.

Deployment of the 27 Starlink satellites was scheduled to occur approximately one hour after the rocket’s departure from Santa Barbara County.

Monday’s mission was one of four Falcon launches planned through Dec. 10 from Vandenberg to deliver Starlink satellites to space. 

The next launch is aiming for as soon as Thursday with departure expected between 10:12 a.m. and 2:12 p.m.

A Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday niight en route to delivering 27 Starlink satellites into orbit.
A Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday niight en route to delivering 27 Starlink satellites into orbit. Credit: Contributed photo

— 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.