All articles tagged with #vandenberg
SpaceX plans a Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. to deploy 24 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, with the first stage expected to land on a droneship in the Pacific after separation; livestream should begin about 10 minutes before liftoff.
SpaceX launched the US government’s spy satellites (NROL-172) from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a Falcon 9, part of the NRO’s proliferated architecture to widen signals and imagery across multiple orbits; the first stage landed on a drone ship after liftoff, and SpaceX and Northrop Grumman-built satellites will expand the United States’ space surveillance capabilities.
SpaceX plans a Falcon 9 liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday at 3:28 p.m. local time (backup window at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday) to deploy the NRO’s NROL-172 mission, with the first stage targeting a landing on the Pacific drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.” A live webcast will be available at spacex.com/launches, and spectators can watch from viewing spots around Lompoc and the Harris Grade Road area; SpaceX also has additional Falcon launches from Vandenberg on May 15 and May 18. Delays are possible due to technical, weather, or scheduling factors.
NASA-supported SNAPPY, a half-pound CubeSat, launched from Vandenberg AFB to test a solar neutrino detector in a low-Earth polar orbit, featuring four crystal detectors shielded with tungsten-dust epoxy and an electronics stack on a Kongsberg NanoAvionics platform; the mission, funded by NASA's NIAC program, aims to validate detector performance in space and inform future near-Sun detectors, with contributions from NASA centers, Wichita State University, and other partners.
SpaceX is shifting focus from its Falcon 9 workhorse to Starship, boosting launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base while reducing Falcon 9 activity at Cape Canaveral. As Starship comes online, Vandenberg could become SpaceX’s busiest launch site, with plans for Starlink upgrades and Moon/Mars missions on the horizon, while Falcon 9 remains in service through the ISS era and toward a future that increasingly centers on Starship-enabled operations.
SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base between 11:59 p.m. Saturday and 12:36 a.m. Sunday to place the CAS500-2 Earth‑observation satellite into a sun‑synchronous orbit, with a backup window if needed. The first-stage booster is targeting a Landing Zone 4 touchdown about seven minutes after liftoff. Sonic booms are expected to be heard across Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. The mission includes multiple rideshares and will be webcast live; viewing spots around Lompoc and Vandenberg Village are noted, and SpaceX has additional Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg planned in the coming days.
SpaceX plans to launch 25 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base around 8 p.m. Wednesday, a sight that could be visible from Arizona as a glowing trail; a livestream will begin about five minutes before liftoff, and some Southern California residents may hear sonic booms depending on weather and wind.
SpaceX is aiming for its 600th Falcon booster landing during the West Coast Starlink 17-22 mission from Vandenberg. The Falcon 9 first stage B1097 will launch Sunday, April 19, 2026, within a 7 a.m. PDT window and attempt a landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You about eight minutes after liftoff, potentially marking the 191st landing on that vessel as Starlink adds 25 satellites to its constellation of more than 10,200; a Saturday launch was postponed.
SpaceX kicked off and closed the day with two Starlink launches: 29 satellites (group 10-24) blasted off from Cape Canaveral in the morning, and about 19 hours later 25 more satellites (group 17-27) lifted off from Vandenberg, joining the SpaceX megaconstellation. Both missions succeeded, with the Falcon 9 first stages returning to Earth on droneships (B1080 and B1082), bringing SpaceX’s Starlink fleet past 10,200 satellites in orbit.
SpaceX will launch 25 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on a Falcon 9 first stage (B1082) for its 46th Falcon 9 flight of the year, targeting a 258 x 246 km, 97-degree orbit; the booster is expected to land on the drone ship about eight minutes after liftoff, and the Starlink 17-27 satellites will deploy roughly an hour into flight.
SpaceX will launch 25 Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, pushing the in‑orbit Starlink fleet past 10,000 satellites; booster B1088 is slated to land on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' about eight minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX scrubbed Saturday’s Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base and now targets Sunday morning for the Starlink 17-18 mission, which will add 25 satellites to the Starlink constellation. Liftoff is planned in a 3:58 a.m. PDT window, with booster B1097 scheduled to land on the drone ship OCISLY in the Pacific, marking another milestone in SpaceX’s launch and landing cadence.
SpaceX marks a milestone by launching its 600th Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg, delivering 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites on the Starlink 17-13 mission, with booster B1081 on its 22nd flight and a planned drone-ship landing, while the Crew Dragon Freedom arrived at the ISS earlier in the day.
ULA offloaded the first Vulcan booster at Vandenberg, marking the West Coast debut for Vulcan launches after the RocketShip barge delivered flight hardware from Alabama and Florida. The USSF-87 mission to GEO with GSSAP and ESPA payloads is targeting no earlier than Feb. 12, with Cape Canaveral readiness continuing for a separate launch from SLC-41.
SpaceX is targeting a Falcon 9 liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Space Launch Complex-4 on Sunday morning between 7:17 and 11:17 a.m., with a backup window Monday if needed. The first stage will attempt a landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific. A live webcast will be available at spacex.com/launches and on X; spectators can view from spots around Lompoc, Harris Grade Road, and Moonglow/Stardust roads, with sunrise launches offering potentially picturesque views.