Time-lapse video: Falcon 9 positioned for 2nd launch attempt

The Starlink 12-8 mission was SpaceX’s 20 orbital launch of the year and send 21 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Liftoff happened at 1:14 a.m. EST (0614 UTC).

Take a look back at the Dec. 22 liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a launch that was visible across Southern California and as far away as Arizona as the booster climbed into sunlight at dusk to deliver 10 commercial communications satellites to orbit.

The mission came as SpaceX is preparing to launch a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station later this week. Liftoff of the Starlink 7-16 mission happened at 7:28 p.m. PT (10:28 p.m. ET, 0228 UTC).