SpaceX is taking a pause in its Starlink operations in California to launch some government satellites instead.
The commercial rocket company founded by billionaire Elon Musk has been selected as the launch service provider for a military mission known as Tranche 1. Being conducted on behalf of the Space Development Agency, managed by the U.S. Space Force, the operation will see a SpaceX rocket deploy a layer of military satellites to space from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.
But of course, what’s on the Falcon 9 rocket may not matter to those watching from the ground. The two-stage, 230-foot spacecraft will still look just as cool blasting off during an early-morning launch to deploy its payload to low-Earth orbit.
Just be aware: Postponements due to weather or issues with rockets are common with spaceflight, so keep that in mind as you make your rocket launch-viewing plans. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending launch.
In the meantime, here’s everything to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, as well as when and where to watch it from Santa Barbara County and neighboring counties.
When is the next rocket launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California?
The launch is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The two-and-a-half launch window opens at 4:58 a.m. PT, according to SpaceX’s website. SpaceX. though, indicated it’s specifically working toward liftoff at 7:12 a.m. PT, according to a launch alert from Vandenberg.
A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests a backup opportunity is available the next day if the launch were to be postponed.
Where is the next launch from California?
The launch will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Most launches from Vandenberg fly at a south or southeast trajectory.
What is the next mission launching from Vandenberg? What to know about Tranche 1
SpaceX will launch its famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world’s most active, to help deploy first 21 of 154 Tranche 1 satellites for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) layered network of satellites.
Once in low-Earth orbit – an altitude low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly – the satellites will provide global military tactical communication and missile defense.
How to watch SpaceX launch livestream
As with most SpaceX missions, the launch will be available to stream on the company’s website and its new X TV mobile app, beginning about 10 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX may also provide updates on social media site X.
Where to watch rocket launches in Santa Barbara County, California
Because Vandenberg is an active military base, the launch complex does not host public viewings of launches.
But if conditions are clear, rocket launches from the Vandenberg Space Force Base can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
Space Launch Schedule, a website dedicated to tracking upcoming rocket launches, provided a list of places in Santa Barbara County in California to catch the launch in person:
The city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County is filled with places to catch a rocket launch. The city’s tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, even maintains this list with additional viewing locations:
Where to watch launches from Vandenberg in Ventura County, California
Visit Ventura, the tourism bureau in Ventura County, provided a list to the USA TODAY Network of suggested locations to see a rocket launch from the county:
Where to watch California rocket launches in San Luis Obispo County
SLO CAL, a countywide destination marketing and management organization, maintains a list of its recommended best locations to watch a rocket launch in San Luis Obispo County to the north of the launch site:
Other cities in California where rockets may be visible
Other cities in California where you might glimpse the Falcon 9 rocket soaring overhead – particularly after sunset and before sunrise – as it climbs into the sky on a southern trajectory include:
Will there be sonic booms?
Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms, according to SpaceX. No sonic boom should be heard over populated areas along the southern coast of California, Vandenberg added.
“Areas local to Vandenberg Space Force Base will hear the initial low rumble of take-off,” according to the launch alert.
Sonic booms are brief, thunder-like noises that are often heard from the ground when a spacecraft or aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound.
What to know about re-entry
Following the launch, the Falcon 9 rocket’s booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed “Of Course I Still Love You,” in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights.
What is SpaceX?
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, founded SpaceX in 2002.
The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city.
SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon.
The most recent of SpaceX’s private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.
SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads.
What is the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California?
The Vandenberg Space Force Base is a rocket launch site in Santa Barbara County in Southern California.
Established in 1941, the site was previously known as the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Though it’s a military base, the site also hosts both civil and commercial space launches for entities like NASA and SpaceX.
Space Launch Delta 30, a unit of Space Force, is responsible for managing the launch operations at Vandenberg, as well as the missile tests that take place at the base.
This article has been updated to add new information.
Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY Network; Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: When is the next California rocket launch? SpaceX to deliver military satellites
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
