Photo Gallery: SpaceX Falcon 9 draws crowds for repeat performance in Southern Utah sky

Written by Chris Reed
April 2, 2024

ST. GEORGE — A large group gathered atop Dixie Rock and filled the parking spots in Pioneer Park on Monday night for a repeat rocket launch performance just a week and a half after the previous one.

View of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from California seen from St. George, Utah, April 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Sheri Humphries, St. George News

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink internet satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:30 p.m. MDT. A little over a minute later, the exhaust stream from the first stage could be seen peeking over the local mountains. 

Like the previous West Coast launch on March 18, it was on a southeasterly trajectory, which allowed people throughout Southern Utah to see a show in the sunset sky.

Just before the first stage separated, the rocket trail was briefly obscured by a cloud in St. George before peeking back out in time for stage separation to be seen. 

The first stage, known as B1071, was on its 15th launch according to Space X, having last launched on Feb. 9. It was the same first stage seen in local skies on July 19, 2023, and Oct. 27, 2022.  

A different first stage, B1075, was responsible for the last Falcon 9 appearance in the St. George sky on March 18.

A different type of celestial show will happen next Monday when a total solar eclipse will occur in parts of the country. In Southern Utah, a partial eclipse will begin at 11:16 a.m.

Photos of Monday night’s launch as seen from Southern Utah can be found below. 

Photo Gallery

 

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Reed serves as a reporter for St. George News, where he has been honored with several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work, including first-place accolades. He started his journalism career as a sports reporter and editor in Southern California where he once compared shoe sizes with Shaquille O'Neal and exchanged mix tapes with members of the Los Angeles Kings. After growing up in the San Fernando Valley learning karate skills from Mr. Miyagi and spending a decade in Las Vegas mostly avoiding the casinos, he came to St. George for love and married his soulmate, a lifetime Southern Utah resident. He is the proud father of two boys, his youngest a champion against both autism and Type 1 diabetes.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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