SpaceX’s Elon Musk celebrates successful rocket launch at Lompoc bar

Sunday’s SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base drew hundreds of tourists to the Central Coast, including the company’s lead designer Elon Musk.

Lompoc wine bar Hangar 7 shared on social media videos and photos of Musk celebrating the successful landing.

“Historic launch and landing for SpaceX,” the company wrote on their Facebook page. “After the launch Elon Musk stopped by for a drink and to congratulate the SpaceX team and also signed the astronaut helmet.”

“Wow, so great he took the time to visit Lompoc!” commented Facebook user Flores Norma.

On Instagram, Hangar 7 posted a video of Musk sharing his excitement over Falcon 9.

“You could see it all the way from Southern California, like all the way down to Orange County,” the business magnate says in the video to fellow SpaceX team members gathered around him. “It’s an honor to work with people like yourselves.”

“So cool that he stopped by!” wrote Instagram user vibrantimagery.

“Way to go VAFB! History made,” commented diana805 on the post.

“I think that is so cool that Mr. Musk was here last night,” said Lompoc resident Joe A. Garcia.

The successful landing was a first for SpaceX in the West Coast.

“I’ve seen several launches and I gotta say that the SpaceX launch yesterday was the most spectacular,” Garcia continued. “It created what looked like a nebula. Or a portal even, opening up in the sky and it was so beautiful, it was so many lights and colors, kinda like what you see in astronomy pictures.”

“I’ve been here for almost 50 years watching launches, and it was the best ever,” echoed former science teacher and Vandenberg Amateur Astronomical Society Vice President, Jana Hunking. “We saw the gas cloud, it was right above me. It was blue, it looked boiling and moving and it reminded me of a supernova on super speed. It was so exciting.”

Hunking said it was nearly as exhilarating as last year’s total eclipse.

” In 2017 I drove up to Oregon to see the total eclipse and that was so exciting. That was the best, but this was the second best astronomy event I’ve ever seen.”

Sunday’s launch is also on other science experts’ top moments.

“I remember when Neal Armstrong set foot on the moon, and the excitement it created then,” recalled O rcutt Academy High School science teacher, Ty Fredericks . “This is probably one of the first times I’ve seen almost that level of excitement.”

Fredericks said Orcutt Academy students were just as thrilled with the magnificent sighting.

“Science rocks! We gotta get kids excited about doing this again, we need more engineers and people who are doing the cool stuff like that.”

The rocket delivered the Argentine satellite SAOCOM 1A into orbit.