With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Listen for a sonic boom tonight after SpaceX launch
The launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket seen from Huntington Beach.
(
Allen J. Schaben
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
Californians from San Luis Obispo to Ventura may hear multiple sonic booms tonight as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket takes off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:09 p.m. Two dozen Starlink satellites are being sent to low Earth orbit.
Return to Earth: The first stage of the rocket will flip around and begin heading back toward a platform in the Pacific Ocean about six minutes after launch. This is the 15th launch that this first-stage rocket has been part of, according to the SpaceX website.
More sonic booms: Earlier this month, the California Coastal Commission voted against a plan to increase SpaceX launches from 50 to 95 and the number of landing events to 24 annually after raising concerns about the effects to wildlife and public beach access. However, as happened in 2024, the federal government can override the Coastal Commission, as it considers the launches federal agency activity. That’s a determination the Coastal Commission disputes, as many of the launches are to deploy private Starlink satellites.
Sponsored message
No jellyfish plume: The launch was moved back two hours from its original time around 8 p.m., so we won’t get to see one of those stunning jellyfish-like plumes tonight, as they tend to only happen around sunrise and sunset. What are those? As the gasses from the rocket expand in the vacuum of space, tiny ice crystals form, and if the sun is at just the right angle, those crystals can reflect the sun’s light, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
