SpaceX launch watch LIVE: Falcon 9 rocket set to take off sparking deafening sonic booms

Stunned families watched in awe last night as SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket miles into sky. Although the stunt threatened to bring deafening sonic booms across parts of Central Florida, many households were dazzled by the sight. One Facebook user said: "It was one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed." Another shared pictures of the white glow, writing: "Clear skies helpout tremendously.". A truck driver stopped to take a glimpse of the rocket. He posted on social media: "So very cool to see for the first time." Another user simply stated: "Amazing! Beautiful!".

The aerospace company, developed by Elon Musk, brought its booster back for a rare land recovery, targeting a 54-minute window from 6:13pm to 7:07pm local time. The Falcon 9 was launched from pad 39A, before returning to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Central Florida – with sonic booms potentially heard by residents across multiple states. The mission deployed the third pair of Maxar’s WorldView Legion high-resolution satellite imagery into orbit. It followed this morning's fog-covered Falcon 9 liftoff on a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicted the chances of favourable launch weather are greater than 95%. The forecast read: "Light winds and clearing skies will result in widespread fog through the nighttime and morning hours once again as the pattern will remain fairly stagnant. "Some light afternoon showers are possible, but conditions will remain mostly dry, and clouds will be low enough as to not be a concern for violation of launch criteria for both the primary and (Wednesday) backup windows," it added.

Musk's company launched the aircraft today after a previous launch in March last year required a last-minute cancellation – when the engines on another Falcon 9 rocket began to ignite. In the same month, the billionaire praised his SpaceX team after the successful launch of the colossal space vehicle Starship, which he bragged was the "largest flying object ever made." The impressive spacecraft, blasted off to awe-inspiring orbital speeds of 17,500 miles per hour before descending back towards earth and splashing down in the Indian Ocean.

Posting about the spectacular mission, the SpaceX mastermind took to X, writing: "Starship reached orbital velocity! Congratulations @SpaceX team!! " He then went on to say: "At ~5000 tons, Starship is the largest flying object ever made.". It granted him a small win after two of his other rockets previously exploded, including one over the Gulf of Mexico in April 2023, landing him in hot water with the Federal Aviation Administration.