While SpaceX’s Starship megarocket tends to get all the attention these days, the spaceflight company’s trusty Falcon 9 rocket quietly continued its work throughout 2024, performing a record 135 launches over the 12-month period, beating its 2023 record by 38.
Most Falcon 9 launches lift off from Florida’s Space Coast, but a growing number of them also get underway from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
It was one of these West Coast launches that gained widespread attention last year for the striking scene captured by a camera as the Falcon 9 rocket roared skyward.
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Launching a shade after 8:15 p.m. PT on a June evening, the rocket can be seen rising above a vast blanket of cloud against a dramatic orange backdrop.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk shared a video of the stunning launch, noting that the footage had not been modified, though it does appear to have been slowed down.
Unmodified video https://t.co/vrIwDt2O5r
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2024
The Falcon 9 was embarking on the NROL-186 mission to deploy next-generation spy satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
When the Falcon 9 left the launchpad, there was low cloud cover in the area and it was beginning to get dark as the sun hung low over the Pacific Ocean. The launch site looked rather gray, in fact, and gave no indication of the breathtaking scene that would appear above the clouds just seconds later.
A YouTube video showing the early stages of the Falcon 9’s flight reveals that the gorgeous orange glow only lasted for about eight seconds before rapidly fading away as the rocket gained altitude.
With 2025 set to be an even busier year for SpaceX, there’s a chance that rocket fans might be treated to a few more launches similar to the spectacular one that gained so much attention back in June.