Elon Musk's company on Sunday successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket into the evening California sky, prompting locals to post pictures and videos of the spectacular light show on social media.
The rocket delivered the Argentine satellite SAOCOM 1A into orbit about 12 minutes after liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
In a first for SpaceX in the West Coast, Falcon 9's first stage returned to the base, where it landed safely about eight minutes after takeoff.
Pictures clearly show the Falcon 9 rocket separating from the spacecraft behind the rocket trail.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was one of the many Californians posting stunning videos and photos of the rocket as it lit up the evening skies over the West Coast.
Garcetti's humorous observation that the rocket was not a UFO came as many people were baffled by the eerie cloud effect the rocket created.
Musk, who's been under fire recently for taunting the Securities and Exchange Commission shortly after reaching a deal with them over his prior tweets, also tweeted pictures of the launch:
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