Watch: SpaceX rocket launch seen for miles around Southern California After separation, the first stage booster landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific. People in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms. Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning with NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter. SIGN UP The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear and light conditions are right. Launches just after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun's rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky. A SpaceX rocket soars of LA June 24, 2024.