Another Success For SpaceX: Smooth Falcon 9 Launch and Landing on the West Coast

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SpaceX has officially crossed another milestone in the company’s history just hours ago when it landed the Falcon 9 booster in California – its first ever landing on the West Coast.

This marks the first time that the Falcon 9 has landed anywhere else but Cape Canaveral in Florida or the company’s droneship Of Course I Still Love You.

The Falcon 9 rocket fired the SAOCOM 1A satellite for the Argentine Space Agency into low orbit during this particular mission. It lifted off from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and then touched down safely back again on Landing Zone 4, just 1400 feet (425m) from the launchpad.

The residents living in the Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties area received messages from the U.S Air Force ahead of time and were advised to not become alarmed if they will happen hear a loud noise during the launch, as sonic booms were expected.

The sonic booms did reportedly happen and they also came accompanied by a gorgeous visual spectacle that has been tweeted even by city mayor Eric Garcetti.

Nope, definitely not aliens. What you’re looking at is the first launch and landing of the @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the West Coast. The rocket took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 7:21 p.m. and landed safely back on Earth.

– Eric Garcetti 

You can watch the SAOCOM 1A mission in its entirety in the video below.

Credit: SpaceX/ YouTube