The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1:38 p.m. Eastern, carrying the NROL-48 mission into low Earth orbit. The flight marked the eleventh launch in the NRO’s growing “ proliferated architecture ” and the fifth such deployment of 2025.

Liftoff occurred at about 5:30 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40. While Falcon 9 missions have become a near-routine sight in recent years, the timing of this launch made it especially eye-catching. Clear skies and a crescent moon also contributed to this unique sight.

Follow FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live updates from today's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch on a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

After lifting off at 5:30 a.m. Sept. 18 from Cape Canaveral, the Falcon 9 deployed satellites into low-Earth orbit on the Starlink 10-61 mission.

We're only a few days into September, and SpaceX is already eyeing its second rocket launch of the month from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The commercial rocket company, founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk, previously delayed three times its first launch of August from the Vandenberg Space Force Base before the Falcon 9 rocket finally got off the ground Wednesday, Aug. 13. The good news ...

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket getting off the ground from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base may tough to spot in daylight in Arizona.

Using a specially designed solar telescope combined with an astronomy camera, he captured the rocket's silhouette cutting through fiery shockwaves in the Sun's plasma.