The next California rocket launch is due up today (Oct. 1.)
SpaceX is planning to get its Falcon 9 rocket off the ground on what will be the 66th launch of 2026 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. This time around, the two-stage rocket will help deliver a massive batch of payloads to Earth orbit in the latest of a series of rideshare missions for tech mogul Elon Musk's company.
Want to keep up with the latest on the mission before liftoff?
Here's everything you need to know to track the next California rocket launch.
When is the next California rocket launch?
The next California rocket launch is targeted for Thursday, Oct. 1, launch from Southern California, with a 58-minute launch window opening at 11:18
a.m. PT, according to a launch alert.
Where is liftoff?
The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex 4-East (SLC-4E,) which SpaceX leases as a launch site for its Falcon 9 rocket at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
What's the mission? SpaceX to launch Transporter-18
SpaceX will launch a rideshare mission known as Transporter-18.
The 130 payloads, including small satellites and orbital vehicles for paying customers, are due to be deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning they match Earth's rotation around the sun. The mission comes after SpaceX launched Transporter-17 at the beginning of July, which carried 81 total payloads to orbit.
What rocket is launching? What to know about Falcon 9
The mission will use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The two-stage, 230-foot rocket is the most active rocket in the world, having launched hundreds of times from both Florida and California.
In this case, the rocket's booster that provides the initial burst of thrust at liftoff will be making its 25th flight.
Weather favorability: Here's the forecast during the launch window
A cloudy morning is forecasted to gradually clear throughout the day during the Oct. 1 launch window for Santa Barbara County, where the Vandenberg Space Force Base is located, according to the National Weather Service.
When are the backup launch opportunities if it scrubs?
Rockets often aren't able to get off the ground within a target launch window for a variety of factors, including bad weather or technical issues detected with the spacecraft. If a launch is scrubbed, that means an attempt to start the mission was canceled for the day and a new date and time will have to be selected.
A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests a backup opportunity is available the next day if the launch were to be postponed again.
What is the trajectory?
The rocket will fly at a southern trajectory.
Where is the booster landing?
Following the launch and stage separation, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to return to the launch site to land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. While SpaceX most often has boosters land on its drone ship offshore, this method still allows personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights.
Will there be sonic booms?
The sonic booms – brief, thunder-like noises that are often heard from the ground when a spacecraft or aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound – are always possible for rocket launches.
In the case of a booster returning for a landing back at Vandenberg closer to populated areas – rather than on a drone ship in the ocean – the sonic boom could be even more noticeable. That's because the booster falls back through the atmosphere still traveling at supersonic speeds and, as it slows down, generates shock waves that sound like one or more loud booms on the ground.
Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County often stand to be the most likely to hear sonic booms, SpaceX has said. Vandenberg has previously indicates that the booms can take place up to 10 minutes after liftoff.
Meanwhile, "areas local to Vandenberg Space Force Base will hear the initial low rumble of take-off," Vandenberg also has warned before launches.
Where can I watch rocket launches from the Vandenberg Space Force Base?
Plenty of places around California have become popular among spectators to catch the sight of a rocket launch, whether they want to be up close and personal as it thunders off the launch pad, or farther away as it soars overhead.
The below guides should help you find a popular location near you in California:
- Near Vandenberg, including Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties;
- Near Palm Springs;
- Around Arizona.
Will a livestream be available?
SpaceX will stream the launch on the company's website beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX may also provide updates on social media site X.
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: SpaceX plans Falcon 9 rocket launch in California. Track today's liftoff
