What: Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.

When: During a 95-minute window opening at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday, according to SpaceX. If needed, the team has backup opportunities during another 95-minute window at the same time Wednesday. 

Where: Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base.

Landing: The first-stage booster, making its 11th flight, will return to land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship positioned in the Pacific Ocean. 

Why: Deliver 81 payloads into orbit for the Transporter-17 mission. 

Cargo on this flight include cubesats, microsats, hosted payloads, and orbital transfer vehicles carrying eight of those payloads to be deployed at a later time.

Watch: A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin about 15 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.