Tag: Vandenberg

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 20 Starlink Satellites from California

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink mission as Tropical Storm Helene pushed back the launch of the next mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the Starlink 9-8 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California happened at 9:01 p.m. PDT (12:01 a.m. EDT, 0401 UTC). This was SpaceX’s 64th Starlink launch of the year.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg (Launch at 30:30 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn Astronauts Splash Down Ending Historic Mission

SPACE reports, “Polaris Dawn, the historic SpaceX astronaut mission — which conducted the first-ever private spacewalk, among other achievements — returned to Earth today (Sept. 15), splashing down safely in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida at 3:36 a.m. EDT (0736 GMT). ‘Polaris Dawn we are mission complete. Thanks for all the big help pulling this mission together,’ said mission commander Jared Isaacman after the crew splashed down in the ocean.”
Full Story (SPACE)

 

Video

SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico (Splash down at 08:43)
(VideoFromSpace; YouTube)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches On National Security Mission for NRO

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with an undisclosed number of satellites on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The spacecraft, which are believed to be Starshield satellites, make up the third batch of what the NRO calls its ‘proliferated architecture.’”  Liftoff of the NROL-113 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base took place at 8:20 p.m. PDT.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California on U.S. spy satellite agency mission (Launch at 00:30:29 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

Firefly Alpha Explodes Shortly After Liftoff

Space News reports that Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket exploded two and a half minutes after its first launch Thursday. Firefly tweeted, “Alpha experienced an anomaly during first stage ascent that resulted in the loss of the vehicle.” Alpha was expected to reach supersonic speed 67 seconds after liftoff, but the rocket did not reach Mach One until 2:20 after liftoff. Alpha exploded 10 seconds after breaking the sound barrier.
Full Story (SpaceNews)

SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 from California

The AP reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force base Thursday carrying 53 Stalink satellites. “The satellites were later deployed from the rocket’s second stage.” Starlink provides broadband internet service based on a constellation of such satellites all around the world.
Full Story (Associated Press)

 

 Video

On Thursday, October 27, at at 6:14 p.m. PT, SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
(SpaceX; YouTube)

SpaceX Launches Another 26 Starlink Satellites to Orbit

SPACE reports, “SpaceX launched 26 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California Monday night (May 12), on the first leg of a spaceflight doubleheader. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 26 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on California’s central coast Monday at 9:15 p.m. EDT (6:15 p.m. local California time; 0115 GMT on May 13).”
Full Story (SPACE)



Video

SpaceX launches 26 Starlink satellites from California. (Launch occurs at 00:11)
(VideoFromSpace; YouTube)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 27 Starlink Satellites from West Coast

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX closed out May with its 16th Falcon 9 launch of the month. The Saturday afternoon launch from the company’s West Coast launch pad carried 27 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to a low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Starlink 11-18 mission from a foggy Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 1:10 p.m. PDT (4:10 p.m. EDT, 2010 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)



 Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Starlink satellites from California, June 1, 2025 (Launch at 30:15 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

York Space’s Dragoon Launches Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

Space News reports, “A U.S. military satellite built by York Space Systems launched to orbit June 23 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The spacecraft, named Dragoon, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-14 mission — a rideshare flight carrying dozens of small satellites for government and commercial customers.”
Full Story (Space News)


 Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg, California on June 23, 2025 (Launch at 30:10 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

NASA to Launch Dual Missions on SpaceX Falcon 9 from California This Weekend

SPACE reports, “Sunday (March 2) is shaping up to be a delightful day for space explorers, as not one but two major NASA missions are expected to take to the skies — and interestingly, though the spacecraft associated with these missions are pretty different from one another, you might say they all have the same profession: cosmic cartography. Cartographer one, named PUNCH, will map the sun’s dynamics, while cartographer two, named SPHEREx, will kind of map the rest of the universe.”
Full Story (SPACE)

SpaceX Sets New Launch Record at Vandenberg with Thursday’s Falcon 9 Launch

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its latest batch of 21 Starlink satellites on a Thursday night Falcon 9 launch from California. The Falcon 9 rocket launch set a new record for Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking the first time that 31 orbital missions have taken off in a calendar year. Thirty of those launches were from SpaceX and one was from Firefly Aerospace.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA (Launch at 27:21)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Launches NAOS and 7 Other Rideshare Satellites from Vandenberg

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its 37th Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base this year, late Tuesday morning. The orbital flight features a defense satellite for Luxembourg along with multiple other rideshare payloads.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 Video

SpaceX Launches NAOS and 7 Other Rideshare Satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (Launch at the 30:20 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube

SpaceX Marks 2,000 Starlink Satellites Deployed in 2025

Spaceflight Now reports the Starlink 17-9 mission added another 24 broadband satellites to its low Earth orbit constellation of more than 8,300. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg took place “Saturday morning … at 11:06 a.m. PDT (2:06 p.m. EDT / 1806 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)



Video

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Station in California on Falcon 9 (Launch at 30:04 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube