Tag: Vandenberg Space Force Base
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Blue Origin one step closer to launching New Glenn from Vandenberg Space Force Base
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket stands in the launch position at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of prelaunch testing for the NG-3 mission. Image: Blue Origin Days ahead of the planned third launch of a New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin was tapped by the U.S. Space Force to proceed towards…
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SpaceX launches first West Coast Starlink mission of 2026
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 21, 2026, to begin the Starlink 17-30 mission. Image: SpaceX Update Jan. 21 2:20 a.m. EST (0720 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 25 Starlink satellites. SpaceX launched its first West Coast Starlink mission of…
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NRO, SpaceX launch reconnaissance satellites from Vandenberg
A long exposure shot showing the ascent of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East and the return of the booster, 1100, to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base during the NROL-105 mission on Jan. 16, 2026. Image: SpaceX Update Jan. 17, 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC): SpaceX landed its…
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SpaceX deploys NASA’s Pandora, other smallsats amid 1st ‘Twilight’ rideshare mission
NASA’s Pandora spacecraft deploys from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket roughly 2.5 hours after the liftoff of the Twilight rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 11, 2026. Image: SpaceX via livestream Update Jan. 11, 11:33 a.m. EST (1633 UTC): SpaceX completed the deployment of all payloads. SpaceX debuted a new class of rideshare…
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Dept. of the Air Force opens bidding for Space Launch Complex 14 at Vandenberg SFB
Vandenberg SFB Guardians and Airmen supported the NASA Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, July 23, 2025. At the forefront of space operations at Vandenberg, the safety team ensures minimal risk for safe, reliable…
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SpaceX launches Maxar’s first WorldView Legion satellites on Falcon 9 flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base
A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying the first pair of WorldView Legion satellites for Maxar Space Systems. Image: SpaceX SpaceX completed the first of a planned pair of Falcon 9 launches on Thursday, hours after it worked with NASA to relocate its Crew Dragon spacecraft on the…
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SpaceX pulls off Starlink 7-18 mission on fourth day of launch attempts
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at sunset from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 1, 2024. Image: SpaceX Following three unsuccessful launch attempts at the end of March, SpaceX was able to pull off an April Fool’s Day Starlink launch. The Starlink 7-18 mission launched at 7:30 p.m. PDT (10:30 EDT, 0230 UTC)…
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Strong winds stymie back-to-back SpaceX launch plans; Vandenberg launch successful
Update 4 a.m. EDT: A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 12:43 a.m. PDT (0743 UTC). Its first stage booster, making its 14th flight, landed successfully on a drone ship in the Pacific. Upper level winds forced SpaceX to scrub the Starlink 6-22 mission from Cape Canaveral. SpaceX was hoping…