This week’s second Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base delivered two dozen more Starlink satellites into orbit Friday night.

The two-stage rocket built by SpaceX blasted off from Space Launch Complex-4 at 8:52 p.m. with the post-sunset sky providing the perfect palette for some spectators to watch the ascent.

Other would-be viewers, including around the Lompoc and Santa Maria valleys, were stuck with cloudy skies limiting the view.

About eight minutes later, the rocket’s first-stage booster successfully landed on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean. It marked the 14th launch and landing for the mission’s booster.

The rocket delivered 24 Starlink satellites as SpaceX continues to expand the constellation providing internet service to remote areas of the planet.

Plans call for launching more than 400 additional Starlink satellites into polar orbit by the end of the year, according to SpaceX. That effort should double the capacity for customers in Alaska.

Starlink already has taken steps toward debuting its third-generation satellites aboard a mission aiming for the first part of 2026. As seen from the Betteravia Government Center in Santa Maria, despite clouds trying to interfere, the Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites blasts off Friday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo

The week’s first launch from the West Coast occurred Tuesday night with the delivery of 26 Starlink satellites, giving the team just three days to get ready for Friday’s flight.

The busy month isn’t done for SpaceX’s crew at Vandenberg.

Another Falcon 9 mission will carry a NASA payload that scientists hope will provide more information about the connection between the sun and the Earth, using twin satellites.