You won't encounter a stranger rocket launch than this Falcon 9 soaring through the fog.

      Despite the limited visibility for mission controllers, fog seldom affects rocket launches.

      SpaceX broadcasts each of its rocket launches live, primarily featuring its Falcon 9 rocket.

      Most Falcon 9 launches occur at Florida’s Space Coast, though the company sometimes conducts missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

      The most recent West Coast launch happened on Saturday when a Falcon 9 deployed 27 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.

      This particular first-stage booster had its ninth flight, having previously launched SDA T1TL-B, SDA T1TL-C, and seven Starlink missions.

      After stage separation, the rocket's first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship located in the Pacific Ocean, allowing for additional flights with the same booster.

      Saturday’s launch was notable because it occurred in thick fog, making the rocket invisible as its engines ignited and it ascended from the launchpad. Instead, the low clouds around the launch site glowed orange as the rocket soared upward. The SpaceX livestream then switched to a view from the booster, showing the rocket quickly rising above the low cloud cover as it propelled into orbit.

      SpaceX launched the Starlink Group 15-12 mission aboard the Falcon 9 B1093-9 from the foggy SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, successfully sending 28 Starlink v2 Mini satellites into Low Earth Orbit.

      Certain cloud types, like thick cumulus or anvil formations, can lead mission controllers to delay a launch due to the risk of lightning strikes as the rocket ascends. Strict launch protocols also prevent rockets from flying through freezing clouds or those generating precipitation, since the friction could cause electrical discharges or harm onboard electronics.

      Conversely, fog poses fewer issues, allowing mission controllers to proceed with launches. Fog consists of low, shallow stratus clouds that are typically warm and well above freezing altitudes, lacking the electrical buildup found in higher clouds.

      Thus, rockets can safely launch through surface fog, although mission controllers must rely more on radar and instruments than visual cues during the rocket's initial ascent.

      Trevor recently relocated from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)...

      NASA hasn't abandoned its beleaguered Starliner spacecraft.

      NASA and Boeing will make another attempt with the troubled Starliner spacecraft, based on a statement from the U.S. space agency on Monday.

      The Starliner has undergone years of development and transported its first crew to the International Space Station (ISS) last year. However, the mission faced numerous challenges, resulting in two NASA astronauts—Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—being stranded at the orbital station for almost nine months, whereas they were originally expected to stay for just a few days.

      NASA astronaut Jonny Kim recently shared behind-the-scenes images of the ISS crew enjoying a movie night, and it appeared to be a fun and relaxing experience. However, much like most airline passengers might avoid films like Alive, Flight, and Fearless during a flight, the ISS crew may also prefer to skip certain movies to maintain a relaxed atmosphere for their time in orbit. With this in mind, here are six films to steer clear of for future movie nights—and one they can certainly enjoy: Gravity (2013).

      NASA is set to send one of its astronauts to the ISS for what's likely the first-ever Thanksgiving Day launch of an American crew member. Launching early on Thursday ET from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Chris Williams will travel to orbit with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.