Tag: Vandenberg Space Force Base
-
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…
-
SpaceX delivers 119 payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit on Transporter 16
SpaceX launched 119 payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit from California for the Transporter 16 mission. Being launched as part of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program, Transporter 16 and all prior Transporter missions have provided satellite operators with reliable access to space at a cost cheaper than that for a dedicated launch. Launch occurred at 4:02 AM PDT…
-
Firefly Aerospace Launches Alpha Flight 7, Tests Block II Upgrades Ahead Of Next Mission
U.S. space and defense company Firefly Aerospace successfully launched its Alpha Flight 7 “Stairway to Seven” mission, sending a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin into orbit while testing upgrades planned for the rocket’s next configuration. The Firefly Alpha rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 5:50 p.m. PDT…
-
SpaceX Delays Falcon 9 Launches After Upper-Stage Deorbit Failure
SpaceX has delayed upcoming Falcon 9 launches after the rocket’s upper stage failed to initiate a planned deorbit burn following a recent mission from California, the company said. The issue occurred after a Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, where the rocket successfully deployed 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. According to SpaceX, the…
-
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…
-
SpaceX Launches NRO Intelligence Satellites on Falcon 9 From California
SpaceX late on Friday launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying an undisclosed number of intelligence-gathering satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, continuing the agency’s push to expand its space-based surveillance network. The mission, designated NROL-105, lifted off at 8:39:51 p.m. PST from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The payload was…
-
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…
-
Firefly Aerospace Unveils Block II Upgrade for Alpha Rocket Ahead of Flight 7
Firefly Aerospace said it has introduced a Block II configuration upgrade for its Alpha launch vehicle, aiming to improve reliability, streamline production and enhance launch operations as demand grows across commercial, civil and national security missions. The U.S.-based space and defense company said Alpha Flight 7, targeted for launch in the coming weeks, will be…
-
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…
-
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…