SAN DIEGO—The launch of a rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County could be seen from San Diego, media reports said on Sept. 15.
Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace launched FLTA003, the third flight of its Alpha launch vehicle, at 7:27 p.m. on Sept. 14, as part of a mission for the U.S. Space Force, according to OnScene TV.
The mission, known as VICTUS NOX, which translates to “conquer the night” in Latin, was a demonstration of the U.S. ability to quickly place a satellite in orbit in response to a national security threat, the video news service said. Firefly was awarded the mission in October 2022 under the Orbital Services Program 4 contract.
A trail left by a rocket launching from the Vandenburg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County as seen from a neighborhood in Menifee, Calif., on Sept. 14, 2023. Brad Jones/The Epoch Times
