{"id":110971,"date":"2018-10-10T21:16:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T21:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=110971"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:55:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:55:00","slug":"watch-elon-musks-new-rocket-light-up-the-california-sky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/watch-elon-musks-new-rocket-light-up-the-california-sky\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch Elon Musk&#8217;s new rocket light up the California sky"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-110987 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Watch the Falcon 9 launch light up the California sky\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-664x374.jpg 664w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-238x134.jpg 238w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-436x246.jpg 436w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-304x170.jpg 304w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/10\/falcon-launch.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Last Sunday night, Californians were dazzled by the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket lighting up the sky. The spectacular launch can be viewed below:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BoryHcLF2bz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"12\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;align-items: center\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 50px;margin: 0 auto 12px;width: 50px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 550;line-height: 18px\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0 0 0;padding: 0 4px\"><a style=\"color: #000;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px;text-decoration: none\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BoryHcLF2bz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Video recap of last night\u2019s launch and landing<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;line-height: 17px;margin-bottom: 0;margin-top: 8px;overflow: hidden;padding: 8px 0 7px;text-align: center\">A post shared by <a style=\"color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/spacex\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> SpaceX<\/a> (@spacex) on Oct 8, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BotaLMYh5Mn\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"12\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;align-items: center\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 50px;margin: 0 auto 12px;width: 50px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 550;line-height: 18px\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0 0 0;padding: 0 4px\"><a style=\"color: #000;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px;text-decoration: none\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BotaLMYh5Mn\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Time-lapse of #spacex #Falcon9 Rocket Launch . . . . . . ? : @jessewatsonphoto . . . . . #milkyway #night #nightscaper #sky #skyphoto #astro #nasa #telescope #galaxy #nebula #solarsystem #astronomy #space #planet #universe #astrophotography #cosmos #astrophoto #esa #earth #stars #apod #youresa #eso #atmosphere #hubble #photography<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;line-height: 17px;margin-bottom: 0;margin-top: 8px;overflow: hidden;padding: 8px 0 7px;text-align: center\">A post shared by <a style=\"color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/astroframe\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Infinity Cosmos\u2122 &#8211; AstroFrame<\/a> (@astroframe) on Oct 9, 2018 at 3:47am PDT<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The launch marked the first time SpaceX successfully landed a rocket on the west coast as opposed to a drone at sea. SpaceX has completed ground landings before, but only on the east coast, as they previously did not have permission to build the gigantic landing pads that they needed in the west.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, past ground launches attempted to land the rocket at a target a few miles away from the launch site. For Sunday&#8217;s launch, the rocket was successfully landed at a target that was only a quarter mile (400 meters) away from the launch site.<\/p>\n<p>The purpose of the launch was to send up the SAOCOM 1A for the Argentinan space program. The radar on the satellite tracks the activity of natural disasters, allowing the government to notify people and keep them safe. The satellite also can analyze the moisture content of soil (all the way from space!) in order to help farmers maximize their crop yields.<\/p>\n<p>The continued success of SpaceX&#8217;s rocket launches has caused the valuation of the company to climb, even in the face of continued controversy regarding its eccentric CEO Elon Musk. Valued at $28 billion, SpaceX is currently the third most valuable American startup after Uber and Airbnb. Looking towards the future, the most high profile upcoming SpaceX endeavor is ferrying American astronauts to the International Space Station. This mission has been delayed repeatedly, but is currently expected to happen in January.<\/p>\n<p>LocalS were warned ahead of time of sonic booms and bright lights as authorities assured them that neither an alien invasion or nuclear annihilation was coming.<\/p>\n<!-- Shortcode [playwire] does not match the conditions -->\n<div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey\">\r\n<p class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__title\">More from Softonic<\/p>\r\n  <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__row\">\r\n    <a title=\"4 Tricks to fix your bad photos using Photoshop\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/4-tricks-fix-bad-photos-photoshop-nr\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/01\/photo-1024x576.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__text\">\r\n        <p>4 Tricks to fix your bad photos using Photoshop<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n    <a title=\"10 best photography programs to make your photos stand out\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/10-best-photography-apps-2018\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__article sc-related-articles-grey__article--last\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2016\/05\/Photoshop-Product-Image.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__text\">\r\n        <p>10 best photography programs to make your photos stand out<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__row\">\r\n    <a title=\"7 Smartphone camera tips for better photos\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/7-smartphone-camera-tips-for-better-photos\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/04\/neonbrand-350396-unsplash.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__text\">\r\n        <p>7 Smartphone camera tips for better photos<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n    <a title=\"5 Tips for taking the best selfies\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/5-tips-for-taking-the-best-selfies\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__article sc-related-articles-grey__article--last\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/05\/selfie-chica-1024x576.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-grey__text\">\r\n        <p>5 Tips for taking the best selfies<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Sunday night, Californians were dazzled by the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket lighting up the sky. The spectacular launch can be viewed below: &nbsp; View this post on Instagram &nbsp; Video recap of last night\u2019s launch and landing A post shared by SpaceX (@spacex) on Oct 8, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT &nbsp; View &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/watch-elon-musks-new-rocket-light-up-the-california-sky\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Watch Elon Musk&#8217;s new rocket light up the California sky&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9153,"featured_media":110987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":0},"categories":[1015],"tags":[1434,1437,1435,1436],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-110971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-elon-musk","tag-falcon-9","tag-spacex","tag-spacex-launch"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9153"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110971"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":327233,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110971\/revisions\/327233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110971"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=110971"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=110971"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=110971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}