This week's rocket launch schedule in California includes two SpaceX missions, one of which would surpass 2025's tally for liftoffs and set a new annual record for the state.
Both upcoming spaceflights – the 71st and 72nd of 2026 – will make use of SpaceX's two-stage Falcon 9 rocket to deploy batches of the company's Starlink internet satellites to Earth orbit. The first, targeted for the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 20, would be the first at the Vandenberg Space Force Base since SpaceX launched a classified Space Force mission Thursday, Oct. 15.
Californians – and potentially Arizonans – making their plans to watch any launches should keep in mind that lots can change between now and when each rocket is expected to lift off, as delays in spaceflight
are common. Be sure to visit VC Star for the latest mission updates.
In the meantime, here's your weekly look at the upcoming launch schedule at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
Tuesday, Oct. 20: Starlink 15-15
- Agency: SpaceX
- Mission: Deploy 27 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, according to SpaceX
- Rocket: Falcon 9, a 230-foot, two-stage reusable rocket capable of carrying more than 50,000 pounds of cargo to low-Earth orbit
- Launch window: 3:14 to 7:14 p.m. PT Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026
- Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California
- Booster landing: SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean
Friday, Oct. 23: Starlink 15-16
- Agency: SpaceX
- Mission: Deploy 27 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, according to SpaceX
- Rocket: Falcon 9, a 230-foot, two-stage reusable rocket capable of carrying more than 50,000 pounds of cargo to low-Earth orbit
- Launch window: 10:29 p.m. Oct. 23 to 2:29 a.m. Oct. 24, 2026
- Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California
- Booster landing: SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 2 California rocket launches planned this week as new annual record nears
