SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Visible Over Germany During Twilight Mission
On January 11, 2025, Niels Borgmann witnessed a spectacular sight as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, part of the 'Twilight' mission with the NASA telescope 'Pandora' on board, burned up in the atmosphere above Bodenfelde, Germany. The rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 5:44 AM (PST), with its arrival over Germany around 5:30 PM CET.
During its second orbit, the rocket likely performed a 'Deorbit Burn' or trajectory correction, visible against the darkening sky as sunlight illuminated the exhaust gases. This event lasted approximately four to five minutes. SpaceX plans to continue launching Starlink satellites, with recent missions adding 58 satellites to low Earth orbit, increasing the chances for future sightings.
