Is there a rocket launch today in California? Here's where you could see a SpaceX launch
A SpaceX satellite launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base could come Thursday, May 22, bringing with it the chance for Californians to spot a streak in the sky.
SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 to deploy a batch of Starlink satellites into orbit, with liftoff that could occur as early as Wednesday, although it'll likely occur Thursday.
Multiple rocket launch schedules online list the liftoff window as opening at 1:58 p.m. PT May 22. SpaceX and the Vandenberg Space Force Base have not yet officially confirmed the launch.
SpaceX typically provides updates and footage of its missions on X.
Located in Santa Barbara County, a rocket launch from the space force base can sometimes be seen far from the launch site.
And the rockets can be spotted in the sky in the Coachella Valley. For example, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg was seen from Palm Springs last April.
Earlier this year, the Merced Fire Department spotted a SpaceX rocket in the sky launched from Vandenberg, ABC10 reported. Merced is more than 200 miles away from the Space Force base.
Other areas people have spotted the rockets in the sky include near the San Gabriel Mountains to Camarillo.
A photo gallery with this story shows SpaceX and United Launch Alliance rocket launches in Vandenberg, California, visible in Phoenix, Arizona (about 530 miles away) and Fairbanks, Alaska (about 3,200 miles away), amid the aurora borealis or Northern Lights on April 18, 2023.
Because Vandenberg is an active military base, the launch complex does not host public viewings of launches.
But if conditions are clear, rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Vandenberg, California, can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
Space Launch Schedule, a website dedicated to tracking upcoming rocket launches, provided a list of places in California to catch the launch in person:
13th Street and Arguello Boulevard, the public site with the closest views of SpaceX launches
Floradale Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, officially designated as the 'viewing site for SLC-6' (space launch complex-6)
Renwick Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, another intersection close to the base where spectators can park
Santa Lucia Canyon Road and Victory Road, provides a partial view of Complex 4
Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue, the only location where the public can view the ignition and liftoff of rockets from Complex 4. Public access is at the Amtrak Surf Station parking area, but the area is closed in the case of back-to-back launches.
The city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County is filled with places to catch a rocket launch. The city's tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, has this list with additional viewing locations:
, 6851 Ocean Park Road, which, while it doesn't have a view of the launch pad itself, is located only four miles from the launch site and provides a good vantage to see rockets get off the ground. Parking is limited, and law enforcement will close the road to the beach once parking is full.
, 1 Hancock Drive, a community college located nine miles from the launch site where both the launch pad and rocket's tip can be seen before liftoff.
, N A Street and McLaughlin Road, located within 10 miles of the launch site, is filled with large fields for activities or for spectators to set up chairs.
For Californians in San Luis Obispo County, beaches such as Avila and Pismo and the Oceano Dunes are recommended to catch a Vandenberg launch, said SLO CAL, a countywide destination marketing and management organization. Trails such as the Cerro San Luis Obispo and the Ontario Ridge Trail offer great views as well, according to SLO CAL.
USA TODAY Network reporter Jennifer Sangalang contributed to this story.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Starlink launch: Where Californians could spot SpaceX rocket liftoff
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