A Falcon 9 rocket launch planned for this week will add to one of the busiest years for Vandenberg Space Force Base in more than three decades.
The SpaceX rocket mission with 21 more Starlink satellites is planned for early Thursday, according to advisories issued ahead of the mission.
Liftoff will aim for 12:01 a.m. Thursday, but the team has four other options between 12:51 a.m. and 3:23 a.m., SpaceX announced Tuesday night.
If needed, they also have backup opportunities on at 12:30 a.m. and 1:20 a.m. Friday.
Falcon rockets fly from Space Launch Complex-4 on the South Base.
For Starlink missions, the rocket’s first-stage booster typically lands on the droneship dubbed Of Course I Still Love You while it’s positioned in the Pacific Ocean several hundred miles away from Vandenberg.
The West Coast Falcon rocket will carry 21 second-generation Starlink satellites as the company continues to build its system to provide Internet access to remote and rural areas where land-based service remains unreliable or unavailable.
The launch will mark the 20th mission of 2023 for the base.
During Lompoc’s birthday celebration on Sunday, Col. Mark Shoemaker, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, spoke about the busy year and partnerships with neighboring communities.
“With your support, 2023 has been more prolific for space launch than it was in 2022, which was a record year in itself,” Shoemaker said. “This year in 2023 we will launch more than we have since 1987. That’s a long time.”
The number of missions reflects a move to develop constellations with multiple small satellites. That includes commercial constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb along with Department of Defense systems such as those launched earlier this year from the base.
Along with entertaining local residents who enjoy watching launches — if the marine layer cooperates — various missions at Vandenberg bring crew members and spectators to the Lompoc Valley, with many staying in local hotels, eating at restaurants and buying gas for vehicles.
“Space is a thriving domain, and it isn’t slowing down,” Shoemaker said during Sunday’s celebration in Lompoc. “As our space launches, our Department of Defense test missions and global space operations increase, I know it will only bring us closer together as a community.
“We truly appreciate Lompoc being a welcoming city that so many of us can call home, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in the future.”
A live broadcast of the mission can be found on the SpaceX website or its YouTube channel.