SpaceX launching another rocket from Vandenberg this week. Here’s when to look for it
Update:
The launch time for the rocket has been pushed back to 9:12 a.m., according to SpaceX.
A backup launch time is available Saturday at 8:50 a.m. if weather conditions do not permit a Friday launch.
Original story:
Another rocket launch is coming to the Central Coast this week, this time carrying the latest round of satellite’s for SpaceX’s internet system, Starlink.
SpaceX is expected to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday morning. The launch window opens at 7:40 a.m.
The rocket will carry 52 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit. According to the SpaceX website, Starlink “provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet across the globe.”
It will be the second launch from the Lompoc-area base this year; a SpaceX rocket carrying a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office launched Feb. 2.
Vandenberg officials warned Central Coast residents may hear a sonic boom about eight minutes after liftoff, as the rocket’s first stage returns to the landing zone.
How to watch the rocket launch
The SpaceX launch will likely be viewable from around the Central Coast, depending on the weather conditions and whether Vandenberg’s infamous fog makes an appearance.
There are several viewing areas around the Lompoc area for those interested in watching the spectacle live.
Cars often line up along Ocean Avenue, also known as Highway 246, with hundreds of spectators sitting on top of their vehicles or on the side of the road waiting for the rocket to come shooting up over the hills.
Other popular viewing sites include spots along Firefighter, Harris Grade and Santa Lucia roads.
The company has not yet released information on whether the launch will be livestreamed as previous ones have been.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 11:03 AM.
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