WASHINGTON —
SpaceX launched from Florida, but was spotted roughly 900 miles away zooming in the night sky of the nation's capital.
The SpaceX satellite launch early Sunday morning at Kennedy Space Center could been seen shooting across the stars visible from Washington, D.C.
The launch around 6 a.m. was for Falcon 9's latest deployment of 60 Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster supporting the mission had completed eight flights, SpaceX said on Twitter. Now completed, this was its ninth launch.
Liftoff was moments after the hour, and Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship minutes later, completing the ninth flight of that booster, SpaceX said around 6:15 a.m.
The daylight saving time change made it easier to spot the launch of the communications satellites in the dark morning sky.
The deployment of the 60 Starlink satellites was confirmed and they were slowly releasing away from the second stage, SpaceX tweeted shortly after 7 a.m. They will make their way into operational orbit over the next few days and weeks.
SpaceX made sure to share a couple spectacular photos of the launch blasting through the sky, creating a very impressive fiery arc over the horizon.
SpaceX had launched another batch of Starlink satellites on Thursday. They will be part of creating a global internet network with almost 12,000 satellites planned to be deployed.
The goal is to expand internet connection around the world to those who don't have service, the Kennedy Space Center says.
Ric Kearbey and Jennie Hook of WTSP 10 Tampa Bay contributed.