California is inching closer and closer to its record-setting launch, with its milestone 70th of the year due up this week.
SpaceX is planning to get its Falcon 9 rocket off the ground on its latest classified mission contracted by the U.S. Space Force at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Targeted for the afternoon
, the launch would bring California within one liftoff of tying the 2025 record of 71 launches within a year.If the schedule holds, that record-breaking mission is now on tap for Oct. 24.
Want to see the next Vandenberg rocket launch? Plenty of places are popular in California among spectators.
Just keep in mind that postponements due to weather or issues with rockets are common with spaceflight. Check back with the VC Star for any updates
on the impending launch.
In the meantime, here's what to know about the upcoming SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg in Santa Barbara County, as well as where to watch it.
Is there a rocket launch today? Next mission from California
SpaceX is working toward a Thursday, Oct. 15, launch from Southern California, with a four-hour launch window opening at 4:44 p.m. PT.
A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests a backup opportunity is available the next day if the launch were to be postponed.
Where is liftoff? What to know about Vandenberg Space Force Base
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 conduct Space Force launch
The next launch from Vandenberg is another classified mission for the U.S. Space Force, this one known as USSF-481. Multiple spaceflight outlets have reported that the mission could be the delivery of a batch of military satellites that will operate in low-Earth orbit – a region closer to Earth's atmosphere.
SpaceX's famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world's most active, will be used to deliver the payload.
Weather favorability: Here's the forecast during the launch window
The weather is forecasted to be sunny and mostly clear during the Oct. 15 launch window for Santa Barbara County, where the Vandenberg Space Force Base is located, according to the National Weather Service.
The below graphic from the NWS, which shows the potential for clouds in Southern California during the targeted window, should help spectators know if conditions will be ideal near them. Blue shading indicates clear skies, while areas with gray shading and higher percentage numbers indicates a higher chance for clouds.
What is the trajectory?
As has become typical in 2026, the rocket will fly at a southern trajectory.
Photos of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in California, US
Where to watch California rocket launches in Santa Barbara County
Because Vandenberg is an active military base, the launch complex does not host public viewings of launches.
But if conditions are clear, rocket launches from the Vandenberg Space Force Base can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
Space Launch Schedule, a website dedicated to tracking upcoming rocket launches, provided a list of places in Santa Barbara County in California to catch the launch in person:
- 13th Street and Arguello Boulevard, a public site with the closest views of SpaceX launches
- Floradale Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, officially designated as the “viewing site for SLC-6” (space launch complex-6)
- Renwick Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, another intersection close to the base where spectators can park
- Santa Lucia Canyon Road and Victory Road, provides a partial view of Complex 4.
The city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County is filled with places to catch a rocket launch. The city's tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, maintains this list with additional viewing locations:
- Ocean Park, 6851 Ocean Park Road, Lompoc, which, while it doesn't have a view of the launch pad itself, is located only four miles from the launch site and provides a good vantage to see rockets get off the ground. Parking is limited, and law enforcement will close the road to the beach once parking is full.
- Allan Hancock College, 1 Hancock Drive, Lompoc, a community college located nine miles from the launch site where the launch pad and rocket's tip can be seen before liftoff.
- Riverbend Park, N A Street and McLaughlin Road, Lompoc, located within 10 miles of the launch site, is filled with large fields for activities or for spectators to set up chairs.
- Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue, one of the closest and most popular places to watch rocket launches near Lompoc, as long as it's open and accessible. But a word of caution: There is an active train track, the Amtrak Surf Station, that visitors must cross. While trains don't run during launch windows, the vehicles could start up again with little warning if a liftoff is scrubbed.
Where to watch California rocket launches in Ventura County
Visit Ventura, the tourism bureau in Ventura County, provided a list to the USA TODAY Network of suggested locations to see a rocket launch from the county:
- Ventura Pier, 750 E. Harbor Blvd, is known as the oldest pier in all of California.
- Emma Wood State Beach, located on the Santa Barbara Channel south of U.S. 101.
- Serra Cross Park at Grant Park, located just above San Buenaventura City Hall, 501 Poli St., Ventura, offers a panoramic seascape view.
- San Buenaventura State Beach, 901 San Pedro St., Ventura, located adjacent to the Ventura Pier.
- Cemetery Memorial Park, Main Street and South Crimea Street, Ventura
Where to watch California rocket launches in San Luis Obispo County
SLO CAL, a countywide destination marketing and management organization, maintains a list of its recommended best locations to watch a rocket launch in San Luis Obispo County to the north of the launch site:
- Avila Beach, located off U.S. 101, has a variety of restaurants and shops for those looking to make a day of their rocket-viewing plans.
- Pismo Beach, a city with a vibrant downtown stretch located just 38 miles away from Vandenberg
- Shell Beach, a neighborhood in Pismo Beach that is home to several parks, including Eldwayen Ocean Park and Margo Dodd Park, both on Ocean Boulevard; and Dinosaur Caves Park (2701 Price St.) that are mostly dog-friendly and open to the public
- Oceano Dunes, the closest place to view launches from the county with open spaces along the ocean allowing full visibility of the sky
- Morro Strand State Beach, a three-mile stretch between the coastal city Morro Bay and the town of Cayucos. Cayucos' south-facing beaches should have great views of Vandenberg.
Other cities in California where rockets may be visible
Other cities in California where you might glimpse the Falcon 9 rocket soaring overhead – particularly after sunset and before sunrise – as it climbs into the sky on a southern trajectory include:
- Long Beach, a city popular with tourists known for its waterfront attractions, located about 180 south of the launch site along the southern coast of California
- Lake Forest, located about 200 miles south of the launch site along the southern coast of California
- San Diego, located about 280 miles south of the launch site along the southern coast of California
- Merced, located more than 200 miles north of Vandenberg in the San Joaquin Valley
- Hesperia, a town surrounded by the Mojave Desert located more than 200 miles east of the launch site
- Anaheim, where Disneyland is located, located less than 200 miles southeast of the launch site
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: Next California rocket launch coming up. Where to see SpaceX Falcon 9
