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Rocket launch: SpaceX successfully completes first mission of December

There was a SpaceX rocket launch Wednesday morning, leaving behind a jellyfish cloud in Florida's sky.

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. — A rocket launched over Florida on Wednesday morning.

According to SpaceX, Falcon 9 launched 24 Starlink satellites into Earth's low orbit. The rocket launched at 5:13 a.m. from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

"This was the 24th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission," SpaceX's description of the mission reads.

At 6:26 a.m., SpaceX confirmed the deployment of the 24 Starlink satellites on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

To date, 416 Starlink missions have been launched, with 378 total landings. In November, 17 missions were completed.

Falcon 9 is a "reusable, two-stage rocket" used for "the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond," Space X says.

Starlink is "the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet," Starlink's website reads. SpaceX is the only satellite operator that can launch its own satellites as needed.

Wednesday's rocket launch left behind what's known as a jellyfish cloud, which could be seen in the sky above Tampa Bay.

Credit: Sky 10

Space jellyfish clouds, like the one produced Wednesday morning, happen when light reflects off the rocket's exhaust plume in the atmosphere during the evening hours after sunset, according to a report from CBS affiliate WKMG-TV.

Jellyfish clouds are typically described as having a puffy top with streaky lines below resembling the sea creature's tentacles, according to Weather & Radar.

You can learn more about jellyfish clouds by clicking or tapping here.

Learn more about SpaceX and Falcon 9 here.


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