A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two NASA science probes on March 11, 2025 in a spectacular nighttime liftoff from California after multiple delays.

As the agency's SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar mission rode toward their orbital stations at 10:09 p.m. EST (0209 March 9 GMT), members of mission control appeared elated, onlookers who caught a peek at the liftoff cheered, and the scientists who built these missions exuded a blend of relief and excitement.

The postponement, driven primarily by thick clouds, was the second scrub of the flight since an issue with the rocket on Saturday night.