Watch Vandenberg loudly launch first SpaceX rocket of 2023 after multiple delays

A Falcon 9 rocket finally blasted off Thursday morning becoming the first mission of 2023 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Space Exploration Technologies rocket loudly lifted off at 7:43 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base near Lompoc, with the sound heard in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

The two-stage launch vehicle carried 51 Starlink satellites into orbit as SpaceX continues building a constellation of craft to provide internet access in remote areas of the globe.

Satellite deployment occurred approximately 30 minutes after liftoff, according to SpaceX.

The mission had been delayed multiple times due to weather and other factors.

The first-stage booster returned to land on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, positioned on the coast of Baja California.

For this mission, SpaceX used a new first-stage booster, notable by its lack of black soot from flying previously.

Reusing the first-stage booster, one of the most expensive components, allows SpaceX to provide cheaper and faster deliveries to space.

While this was the first launch of the year from the Central Coast, it was the fifth overall of 2023 for SpaceX after four previous missions occurred from Florida.