SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lights up the sky over Puerto Rico with a spectacular trail

Falcon 9 rocket from the company SpaceXlit up the skies of Puerto Rico this Sunday, leaving behind an impressive trail of light as it entered orbit, confirmed Eddie Irizarry RoblesPresident of Scientific Extension of the Caribbean Astronomical Society Caribbean Astronomical Society (SAC), To New day.

The rocket was originally supposed to take off from Cape Canaveral, in the state Floridaat 17:30. However, its launch was postponed to 18:35, a time that, according to Irizarry Robles, turned out to be the ideal moment for an even more unusual sighting than on other occasions.

“Since the takeoff took place very close to dusk, we had the advantage that the rocket’s wake would always be illuminated not only by the fuel itself, but also because at the altitude at which the rocket had to take off, it would receive sunlight, so for us the path will be more illuminated.”– explained the scientific interlocutor.

At the time it was spotted by the Puerto Ricans, the missile was approximately 112 miles above Puerto Rico. Their appearance seemed so close and partly this is due to an interesting fact that Irizarry Robles shared.

Previously, SpaceX launched its rockets towards the Atlantic Ocean. However, since the beginning of 2020, the company began to launch them towards Puerto Rico. According to the former SAC president, this not only allowed them to put the satellites into the desired orbit, but also gave them an advantage: the recovery of the first stage of the rocket.

Irizarry Robles explained that at this stage the rocket appears as if it is descending in reverse, so a robotic boat or platform must be placed to receive it. In the past, these boats were located in Atlantic waters closer to the northeast.

However, when SpaceX decided to launch towards Puerto Rico, it calculated that if they positioned these platforms in calmer waters, such as towards the Bahamas, the robotic boat would be more stable, so there would be a greater chance of recovering the rocket’s first stage.

Falcon 9 will carry 23 additional Starlink satellites into space as part of their constellation to provide satellite internet.

For their part, it didn’t take long for citizens to take to social media to share their excitement after witnessing the bright light trail created by the Falcon 9 launch.