Launches from Vandenberg, outside Lompoc, and the spiraling exhaust trails they leave behind are often visible across Southern California. Loud booms from Falcon 9's reusable first stage can rattle local windows as the stage angles for a landing on an autonomous barge off the California coast.

SpaceX launched a new round of 21 Starlink satellites into lower Earth orbit, 13 of which can contact cell phones directly.

The final Falcon 9 launch of Starlink low-orbiting satellites from California this year is scheduled for liftoff this weekend, according to SpaceX. The launch window for 22 internet communication system satellites is between 5:48 p.m. and 9:31 p.m. PST. on Saturday, Dec. 28, from Vandenberg Space Force Base.