SpaceX uses Twitter to provide additional options for launch viewing

After Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter last year, I wondered if he would utilize the platform to enhance the coverage of his companies. It turns out that my thought was correct. On Friday, during the Starlink launch from Vandenberg, SpaceX introduced multiple streams on Twitter, offering different views of the launch.

Friday’s launch, the 46th rocket launch of 2023 for SpaceX, was unremarkable, with a foggy backdrop at Vandenberg. Although we didn’t have clear ground feeds of the launch due to the fog, Twitter provided additional viewing options. While not entirely new feeds, Twitter offered a multi-view feature that allowed users to switch between various shots and enjoy uninterrupted viewing of their preferred angle.

On Sunday evening, SpaceX conducted another Starlink mission, this time from the East Coast. However, the company did not provide the special event via Twitter.

While YouTube streams maintained their usual hosted coverage with multiple camera views controlled by SpaceX, the Twitter event featured four streams: a view of the launch pad, a tracking camera, a camera on the Falcon 9, and the droneship. Notably, all four streams on Twitter had significantly lower latency compared to YouTube.

These Twitter “Events” are not a new concept. They have been extensively used prior to Elon Musk’s acquisition, particularly during major political events such as elections, the State of the Union address, and inaugurations. Typically, these events aggregate live coverage from multiple sources, but this time, it was solely SpaceX.

In October of last year, Elon Musk purchased Twitter and assumed the role of CEO, adding to his leadership of four companies, the other three being Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company. While Linda Yaccarino has been appointed as a pseudo-CEO, Musk still retains control over the product and engineering aspects of the company.

Opinions on Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and his management of the platform have been deeply divided along political lines. Those on the left perceive the site as having descended into anarchy, while the right has commended Musk for “protecting free speech.” Consequently, several new micro-blogging competitors, including Mastodon, BlueSky, and most recently, Instagram’s Threads, have emerged.

Regardless of personal views on Twitter, having more control over how one can watch launches is an appreciated feature. Here’s to hoping that such options become increasingly available during future missions.