The Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket's payload fairing arrives at the Vandenberg Space Force Base launch pad to be attached to the rocket ahead of a Sunday morning liftoff.
The Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket's payload fairing arrives at the Vandenberg Space Force Base launch pad to be attached to the rocket ahead of a Sunday morning liftoff. Credit: Contributed photo

What: Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket 

When: Launch window spans from 6:37 a.m. to 7:29 a.m. Sunday, according to Firefly. If needed, the team has backup opportunities for the same time period daily through Thursday.

The Texas-based company’s sixth Alpha rocket launch had been delayed for several weeks.

Where: Space Launch Complex-2, which is west of the airfield.

Weather: The forecast currently calls for a 20% likelihood of favorable conditions for a Sunday launch attempt due to cloud cover, Firefly representatives said Saturday following a launch readiness review.

Forecasts have become gloomier since a day earlier the outlook called for a 60% likelihood the rocket would get off the ground on Sunday.

Landing: None

The Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket's payload fairing is mated to the lower portion of the rocket at the Vandenberg Space Force Base launch pad ahead of a Sunday morning liftoff.
The Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket’s payload fairing is mated to the lower portion of the rocket at the Vandenberg Space Force Base launch pad ahead of a Sunday morning liftoff. Credit: Contributed photo

Why: The Message in a Booster mission will deliver Lockheed Martin Corp.’s LM 400 satellite to demonstrate the company’s new multi-mission satellite bus, or frame. 

Watch: A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin at 5:47 a.m. Sunday, or about 50 minutes before liftoff. The livestream is available on YouTube by clicking here. 

To watch the liftoff in person, the Lompoc Valley has multiple locations offering views of the launch pad. Those include the peak of Harris Grade Road, west of Lompoc’s city limits and around Vandenberg Village, including near the intersection of Moonglow and Stardust roads. 

Vandenberg launches close to sunset or sunrise can be especially picturesque. If skies are clear, the rocket’s departure might be visible from elsewhere around California and, under certain conditions, other Western states.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.