SpaceX launch scheduled Sunday in California. Will it be visible from Palm Springs?
Coachella Valley residents could catch a glimpse of a SpaceX rocket streaking across the sky this weekend, with a Falcon 9 rocket launch tentatively scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The Transporter-14 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County will carry 70 payloads, including "cubesats, microsats, re-entry capsules, and orbital transfer vehicles," into Earth's lower orbit, according to SpaceX.
While schedules can shift, the 57-minute launch window is slated to open at 2:18 p.m. Sunday. Backup opportunities are available at the same time Monday.
The scheduled mission marks the latest of several SpaceX launches visible from the valley and across Southern California in recent years. A live stream of the rocket launches has typically been available on SpaceX's X account starting a few minutes before liftoff.
Following the launch, part of the Falcon 9 rocket is planned to land on a drone station in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX will provide livestream of the launch on its website beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at tcoulter@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: SpaceX launch scheduled Sunday in California. What to know
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