A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the year’s sixth set of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base could launch as soon as Tuesday morning.
The SpaceX two-stage rocket launch will take place from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base.
On Monday afternoon, SpaceX confirmed the planned launch time as 6:40 a.m.
Advisories had said the launch would occur between 6:02 a.m. and 7:48 a.m. Tuesday.
Rocket and missile launches before sunrise and after sunset can cause colorful displays in the sky if a marine layer doesn’t block the view.
A twilight phenomenon, often mistaken as a launch mishap, stems from exhaust particles of unused propellant in the contrail.
Those particles condense, freeze, and then expand in the less dense upper atmosphere, leading to an array of colors seen from hundreds of miles away from Santa Barbara County.
If the rocket doesn’t get off the ground on Tuesday, a backup opportunity exists Wednesday morning, also at 6:40.
Starlink missions typically involve the first-stage booster landing on a drone ship, dubbed Of Course I Still Love You, positioned in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles from the Central Coast.
The first-stage booster has carried out 12 missions previously, according to SpaceX.
Five other Starlink missions have occurred so far this year from Vandenberg, with 10 others taking place from the West Coast since September 2021.
Along with the large number of East Coast Starlink missions, SpaceX has delivered more than 4,200 satellites into orbit for a system designed to provide internet services around the globe, including in remote areas.
For those hoping to see the Vandenberg Falcon rocket launch, the base has restricted access, but several locations around the Lompoc Valley provide views of the launch site, which is south of West Ocean Avenue/Highway 246.
The locations include west of Lompoc, the peak of Harris Grade Road, and near the intersection of Moonglow and Stardust roads.
Providence Landing Park, at 699 Mercury Ave. in Vandenberg Village, also is a popular gathering spot, along with West Ocean Avenue west of Lompoc’s city limits.
A live broadcast of the mission can be found about five minutes before the planned launch time on the SpaceX website or its YouTube channel.