A pair of launches — one a rocket-carrying satellites and the second a missile with a mock warhead — are planned hours apart Tuesday night and Wednesday morning at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
First, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will aim for liftoff between 7:11 and 9:01 p.m. Tuesday from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base in Santa Barbara County.
Hours later, an Air Force Minuteman III missile test launch is scheduled to take place between 12:01 and 6:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Minuteman missile test launches occur from underground silos dotting the landscape on the most northern section of Vandenberg.
After completing its chores, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster, making its second flight, will land on the droneship positioned in the Pacific Ocean about eight minutes after liftoff.
The rocket will deliver 24 Starlink satellites into orbit.
A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin about five minutes before liftoff at spacex.com/launches and on X @SpaceX.
No live webcast is planned for the Minuteman missile test which typically targets departures at the opening of the six-hour window.
The three-stage weapon will fly toward a predetermined target in the central Pacific Ocean.
The routine test launch, designated Glory Trip 256, was scheduled years ago, and is not in response to world events, military officials said. Vandenberg typically conducts a few Miinuteman tests each year.
The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.
The Air Force has approximately 400 Minuteman weapons in its fleet and is working toward developing a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missiles.
To watch the Falcon rocket 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.
Rocket launches and missile tests can get delayed for a number of reasons including technical troubles with the rocket, payload or support equipment; unfavorable weather; and scheduling issues.