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SpaceX to launch another rocket from Vandenberg today. Here’s how to watch

A SpaceX rocket will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday night, carrying 53 more of the aerospace company’s Starlink satellites into orbit.

The launch is scheduled for 6:14 p.m. Thursday, with a backup opportunity on Friday at 5:52 p.m., according to SpaceX.

The launch will use the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The first-stage booster was used previously to launch the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, Double Asteroid Redirection Test and five other Starlink missions, according to SpaceX.

Following separation, the Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth and land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

It’s been a busy year for SpaceX on the West Coast, with 10 successful launches taking off from Vandenberg.

How to watch Vandenberg 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.

A live webcast of the launch will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff and can be watched online at spacex.com/launches/sl4-31.

This story was originally published October 27, 2022 at 11:13 AM.

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Kaytlyn Leslie
The Tribune
Kaytlyn Leslie writes about business and development for The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Hailing from Nipomo, she also covers city governments and happenings in San Luis Obispo. She joined The Tribune in 2013 after graduating from Cal Poly with her journalism degree.
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