A SpaceX rocket is scheduled to launch Friday night from the Santa Barbara County coast.
The launch is scheduled for 8:14 p.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The rocket will soar south along the coast with a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The agency builds and operates the United States’ fleet of spy satellites.
The first-stage rocket booster will land on a droneship at sea.
The rocket may be visible from around Los Angeles, but likely won’t offer the dramatic spectacle of past launches against a darker sky, unless it launches later in the two-hour launch window. Sunset is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. Friday in Los Angeles, just a few minutes before the launch window opens.
The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear and dark enough. Launches after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun’s rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky.
Susanne Strauss
Jim Parker
Harold Shafer
Patti Wunderlich
Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched 96 successful missions with its Falcon rockets in 2023, eclipsing its previous annual record of 61 orbital launches in 2022.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
