What: Falcon 9 rocket
When: 6:15 p.m. Monday with other options until 7:08 p.m., according to SpaceX. If needed, the team has backup opportunities starting at 6:13 p.m. Tuesday. SpaceX did not confirm Monday’s launch plans until late morning.
Notices to pilots also suggest SpaceX intends to conduct another Falcon launch of Starlink satellites at the end of this week.
Where: Space Launch Complex-4 on south Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
Landing: The first-stage booster, making its sixth flight, will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship positioned in the Pacific Ocean. A sonic boom is possible in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties but will depend on weather and other conditions, SpaceX said.
Why: Deliver 26 more Starlink satellites in orbit. Deployment of the satellites is scheduled approximately one hour after liftoff.
Watch: A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin about five minutes before liftoff at spacex.com/launches and on X @SpaceX.
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.