It was a record year for spaceflight in California, and even more rocket launches should be ahead in 2026.
SpaceX led the way in 2025 – helming a whopping 90% of the missions that got off the ground at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. Billionaire Elon Musk’s company blasted off its Falcon 9 rocket more than 60 times throughout the year on a variety of missions, most of which were to deploy SpaceX’s commercial Starlink internet satellites.
The regular cadence of rocket launches in 2025 reliably attracted crowds in Southern California and even as far away as Arizona, drawing spectators eager to glimpse SpaceX’s famed two-stage Falcon 9 thundering into the sky.
But for officials at Vandenberg, who regularly tout the site as a growing epicenter for spaceflight, the best may be yet to come.
Here’s what to know about Vandenberg’s record year for spaceflight, and what’s coming up in 2026.
What is the Vandenberg Space Force Base?
The Vandenberg Space Force Base is a rocket launch site in Santa Barbara County in Southern California.
Established in 1941, the site – managed by Space Launch Delta 30, a unit of Space Force – was previously known as the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Though it’s a military base, the site also hosts civil and commercial space launches for entities like NASA and SpaceX.
Vandenberg makes history with record number of SpaceX launches in 2025
SpaceX, founded and led by Musk, the world’s richest man, is by far the most active launch provider at Vandenberg.
The company regularly sends its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket on missions to deploy batches of Starlink internet satellites into its growing constellation in space. The Falcon 9 spacecraft, standing at 230 feet tall, was also contracted in 2025 for use on several military and government missions from Vandenberg.
In fact, it was a SpaceX mission that on Oct. 3 surpassed 2024’s record of 51 for most rocket launches since the 1960s in California within a year. All told, Vandenberg ended 2025 with 71 rocket launches conducted within the year – 64 of which were SpaceX-led missions, a spokesperson for Space Launch Delta 30 said in an email to the USA TODAY Network.
“This milestone underscores Vandenberg’s role as a critical node for national defense – not just a launch base, but a hub for innovation, advanced testing, and assured access to space,” Vandenberg said in a post on social media. “Every mission here strengthens America’s security and preserves our strategic edge.”
How many rocket launches will happen in 2026 in California?
Officials estimate that more than 80 missions could get off the ground in 2026, though SpaceX has approval for its Falcon family of rockets to launch up to 100 times within the year from Vandenberg.
Standing at 230 feet tall, the Falcon 9 is SpaceX’s workhorse that conducts the bulk of its missions from Florida and California. That includes human spaceflight missions with NASA to help propel astronauts into orbit on their way to the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9 rocket, which gets off the ground in California from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg, is capable of transporting up to about 50,000 pounds of cargo to low-Earth orbit, a lower altitude where things like satellites can circle Earth fairly quickly, according to SpaceX.
When will SpaceX make West Coast debut of Falcon Heavy?
Under the approved plan, SpaceX also could soon roll out its more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket for its West Coast debut, which is likely to be easier for spectators to spot in the sky than its Falcon 9 cousin.
But the Space Launch Delta 30 spokesperson said Falcon Heavy’s maiden California flight is unlikely to happen in 2026. Because modifications are still being made to Space Launch Complex 6, or SLC-6, to support Falcon Heavy operations, it’s likely the vehicle won’t get off the ground from Vandenberg until 2027, the spokesperson said.
Falcon Heavy is the same height as the Falcon 9 but is composed of three reusable Falcon 9 nine-engine cores with 27 engines in SpaceX’s Merlin family.
That design makes the rocket capable of generating more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, which SpaceX says is equal to about 18 Boeing 747 commercial airplanes. The powerful Falcon Heavy can also lift nearly 64 metric tons, or 141,000 pounds, to orbit.
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: California ends 2025 with record number of rocket launches. What’s next?
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
