Two Parting Falcon 9 Rocket Stages

Tuesday, October 9, 2018: Two stages of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket separate inside a glowing plume shortly after lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California late Sunday night (Oct. 7). After separation, the rocket's second stage continued to haul the SAOCOM-1A satellite into orbit while the first stage returned to Earth for a historic first landing on the U.S. West Coast. Photographer Sheila Hoffos captured this view of the launch from Simi Valley, California, roughly 120 miles (190 kilometers) southeast of Vandenberg. — Hanneke Weitering