Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched a rocket carrying 25 Starlink internet-service satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday evening.
Following the 10:04 p.m. launch from the base near Lompoc, the first-stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket propelling the satellites into space returned to Earth, landing on a drone ship called “Of Course I Still Love You” stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
Friday’s launch was the 32nd flight of the rocket booster. SpaceX has pioneered the recovery and reuse of rocket boosters, cutting the cost of launches by millions of dollars.