SpaceX is going to attempt a rare feat during its next California rocket launch.
For just the third time in 2026, the commercial spaceflight company plans to return a booster back to the Vandenberg Space Force Base for a landing shortly after liftoff. It’s a maneuver that SpaceX, which typically lands boosters from its Falcon 9 rocket on an off-shore drone ship, last pulled off at the beginning of May.
Californians, as always, have plenty of opportunities to catch the launch – though it is scheduled for the early morning hours when most people are sleeping. Because of the booster landing, they may also notice this time around more prominent sonic booms.
Just keep in mind that postponements due to weather or issues with rockets are common with spaceflight. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending launch.
In the meantime, here’s what to know about the upcoming SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg in Santa Barbara County, as well as where to watch it.
Is there a rocket launch today? Next mission from Vandenberg in California
SpaceX is working toward a Thursday, June 18, launch from Southern California, with a 35-minute launch window open from 1:54 to 2:29 a.m. PT.
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? What to know about trajectory
The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex 4-East (SLC-4E,) which SpaceX leases as a launch site for its Falcon 9 rocket at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
The rocket will fly at a southeast trajectory.
What is launching from Vandenberg? SpaceX to deliver military satellites
The mission, known as NROL-179, is the 14th launch of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)’s “proliferated architecture” to low-Earth orbit. In simple terms, that means SpaceX is helping to deploy small reconnaissance satellites to a constellation closer to Earth’s atmosphere at an altitude low enough for them to circle Earth quickly.
SpaceX will launch its famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world’s most active, to deliver the satellites to space.
Where to watch California rocket launches in Santa Barbara County
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.
Important note: In the case of launches in which the booster returns back to the base, as is the case this time, Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue, one of the closest and most popular places to watch rocket launches near Lompoc, is closed.
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, maintains this list with additional viewing locations:
Where to watch California rocket launches in Ventura County
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:
What to know about booster re-entry
Following the launch and stage separation, the Falcon 9 rocket’s booster will aim to return to the launch site to land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. While SpaceX most often has boosters land on its drone ship offshore, this method still allows personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights.
Will there be sonic booms?
Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County often stand to be the most likely to hear sonic booms, SpaceX has said.
The sonic booms – brief, thunder-like noises that are often heard from the ground when a spacecraft or aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound – could last for up to 10 minutes after liftoff, Vandenberg has added.
In the case of a booster returning for a landing back at Vandenberg closer to populated areas – rather than on a drone ship in the ocean – the sonic boom could be even more noticeable. That’s because the booster falls back through the atmosphere still traveling at supersonic speeds and, as it slows down, generates shock waves that sound like one or more loud booms on the ground.
Meanwhile, “areas local to Vandenberg Space Force Base will hear the initial low rumble of take-off,” Vandenberg also warns before launches.
Does Elon Musk own SpaceX? What to know about rocket company
SpaceX is the commercial spaceflight company that billionaire Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, founded in 2002 and leads as the CEO.
SpaceX 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.
As a major government contractor, SpaceX serves as the launch service provider for a variety of government missions both civil and military.
For the Department of Defense, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 helps launch classified satellites and other payloads into space. And for NASA, Falcon 9 most often helps propel astronauts to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule – the only U.S vehicle capable of carrying NASA astronauts to orbit.
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.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: SpaceX to attempt rare booster landing after next Vandenberg launch
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
