Nearly midway through August, SpaceX has yet to launch its first rocket from Southern California.
But that doesn’t mean the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk hasn’t tried.
SpaceX has been attempting to launch its Falcon 9 rocket since Aug. 9 on a mission to deploy internet-beaming Starlink satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. That mission has so far been postponed three times, which appears to have caused a ripple effect for the remainder of the missions scheduled for August at the company’s launch pad at the California base.
For Californians hoping to glimpse the site of the spacecraft getting off the ground, the moving schedule may have caused some confusion.
Here’s everything to know about where things stand with SpaceX rocket launches at Vandenberg.
When is the next rocket launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California?
SpaceX is now working toward a Wednesday, Aug. 13, liftoff of its Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, with a four-hour launch window opening at 8:44 p.m. PT, the base said in a launch alert.
The two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world’s most active, is scheduled to deliver 24 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit – an altitude low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly.
As with most SpaceX missions, the launch will be available to stream on the company’s website beginning about five minutes before liftoff. SpaceX may also provide updates on social media site X.
1st SpaceX Starlink launch of August delayed 3 times in California: What we know
The mission, known as Starlink 17-4, has been postponed three times since its original target date of Aug. 9. Vandenberg and SpaceX had also been planning for the mission to get off the ground Aug. 11, then Aug. 12 before both attempts were scrubbed.
No reasons have been provided for the delays.
A spokeswoman for Vandenberg deferred questions to SpaceX when reached Wednesday, Aug. 13 by the USA TODAY Network.
What other missions are scheduled for August so far?
SpaceX had also been planning another Starlink deployment mission, 17-5, in the same week of August. The company has not yet updated the mission’s target launch date online, but multiple websites that track rocket launches suggest it’s scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15.
The launch window could possibly open at 8:44 a.m. PT.
Vandenberg has not yet officially announced the launch, which is also not yet listed on a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory as of Wednesday, Aug. 13.
Here’s a look at other missions planned for the month:
Where to watch rocket launches in 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 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:
Daytime launches may be harder to spot further from the launch site, but ther cities in California where you might glimpse the Falcon 9 rocket soaring overhead as it climbs into the sky on a southern trajectory include:
This article has been updated with additional information.
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: Is there a California rocket launch today? SpaceX mission postponed 3 times at Vandenberg
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Ventura County Star
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