SpaceX delays another Vandenberg rocket launch. Here’s when it should lift off
Update: SpaceX delayed the launch once again on Wednesday. Read more about the delay here: SpaceX delays Vandenberg rocket launch yet again. Here’s the next time it could lift off
A SpaceX rocket set to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc was abruptly postponed early Tuesday morning, marking yet another in a string of delays that have plagued the aerospace company’s local launches in recent months.
The rocket was originally expected to blast off around 6:40 a.m., but was canceled less than an hour before launch with no explanation.
SpaceX is now targeting a 6:40 a.m. Wednesday launch.
The Falcon 9 rocket will carry 46 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from the Launch Complex 4 East launchpad
The first-stage booster supporting the mission previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3 and three Starlink missions, according to SpaceX.
Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
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 this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff and is viewable at spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl3-5.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 12:39 PM.
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