Is there a rocket launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, liftoff schedule from Vandenberg, California
Residents of the Golden State have a few rocket launches to look forward to in the weeks ahead.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has plans for at least two deliveries of Starlink satellites into orbit from Vandenberg, California. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman, a launch service provider based in Virginia, is under contract for a U.S. Space Force launch there later this month.
But it's important to keep in mind that rocket launches can be – and often are – scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft.
In Florida, rockets − including SpaceX Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy or United Launch Alliance's Atlas V − launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station or nearby at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In California, rockets launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Florida rocket launch schedule: Here's what's coming up for SpaceX, NASA rocket launches at Cape Canaveral
Here's a look at the upcoming May 2025 launch schedule at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California:
California rocket launch, Friday, May 9, 2025: SpaceX Starlink 15-3
Mission : SpaceX will potentially launch a Falcon 9 rocket on a mission to deploy Starlink broadband satellites.
Launch window : 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET ) to 9 p.m. PT Friday, May 9, 2025.
Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Vandeberg, California
California rocket launch in May 2025: SpaceX Starlink 15-4
Mission : SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket on a mission to deploy Starlink broadband satellites.
Launch window : To be announced
Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base. in Vandenberg, California
California rocket launch in May 2025: Northrop Grumman Space Systems EWS OD-1
Mission : Northrop Grumman will launch a prototype weather satellite for the United States Space Force on its Minotaur IV rocket. The satellite, known as the Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather System (EWS), is due to remain in low-Earth orbit for about three years for a mission known as Operational Demonstration-1 (OD-1.)
Launch window : To be announced
Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 8 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Vandenberg, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base is viewed Dec. 28, 2024 from Encinitas, California. The image was taken following stage separation as the first stage returns to land on a droneship, in the Pacific Ocean.
Stunning images! SpaceX, ULA rocket launches from Vandenberg, California, may be visible in Arizona, too
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: California rocket launch schedule: May SpaceX missions from Vandenberg
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla's Energy Storage Business Is Quietly Growing at Triple-Digit Rates. Is This the Company's Next Growth Engine?
Tesla's energy division more than doubled its storage deployments in 2024, and triple-digit growth has continued this year. The company's energy business is becoming a core growth engine rather than a side project. Demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure is providing a lift to Tesla's energy storage sales. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › After years of being viewed as an intriguing side project, Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) energy business is starting to look like the electric-car company's most underappreciated growth engine. In 2024, energy storage deployments surged, and gross profit from the segment hit new highs. And momentum hasn't slowed. Based on Tesla's first-quarter 2025 results, the division is on pace for another record-breaking year. For investors still focused solely on Tesla vehicles like its best-selling Model Y and flashy Cybertruck, it may be time to widen the lens. Tesla's energy business delivered stunning results in 2024. Total energy generation and storage revenue jumped 67% year over year to more than $10 billion. After deploying 14.7 gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage in 2023, Tesla more than doubled this figure to 31.4 GWh in 2024. Growth like this doesn't just spotlight demand -- it highlights exceptional product-market fit and suggests there's likely a long runway ahead. More importantly, Tesla's energy business, including both solar and energy storage sales, is becoming far more profitable. Energy segment gross profit reached $2.6 billion last year -- far more than the $1.1 billion it posted in 2023. For further context, Tesla's energy business generated less than $300 million in gross profit in 2022. The division has gone from a long-term moonshot bet to a viable earnings contributor in just a few years. Much of Tesla's momentum in its energy storage business comes from its Megapack product -- a grid-scale battery storage solution designed for utilities and large-scale commercial customers. The company is producing Megapacks at its dedicated Lathrop, California, facility, and recently started production at a second Megapack factory in Shanghai, with a target production of up to 40 GWh of capacity per year. Of course, Tesla also has a product for residential customers called Powerwall. Though Powerwall deployments are smaller than Megapack, the product's importance shouldn't be underestimated. "We achieved a fourth sequential record for Powerwall deployments," Tesla said in its first-quarter update in April, "crossing 1 GWh for the first time, and continue to be supply constrained." Speaking of Tesla's first-quarter momentum in energy storage, total energy storage deployment during the period skyrocketed 154% year over year to 10.4 GWh. Revenue from energy generation and storage grew 67% year over year to $2.7 billion. In its first-quarter update, Tesla attributed some of its massive growth to rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI). AI infrastructure is driving rapid load growth, which, along with traditional utility customer applications, is creating an outsized opportunity for our Energy storage products to stabilize the grid, shift energy when it is needed most and provide additional power capacity. Of course, investors still need to keep their expectations in check. Though Tesla is the most aggressive and scaled player in the space, there's a risk that a business like this becomes commoditized over time as other players ramp up their efforts in the space. Additionally, management said in its first-quarter update that the current tariff environment has a "relatively larger impact" on its energy business than it does on its automotive business. Still, Tesla's staggering momentum in the segment is hard to ignore. Investors have long been willing to give Tesla a premium valuation based on its disruptive potential. But in recent years, that bet has rested almost entirely on the company's vehicle business. Now, a second act is emerging. Tesla's energy division is growing rapidly, becoming more profitable, and gaining strategic importance. It's taking some pressure off Tesla's automotive business. If Tesla's energy business continues to scale at its current pace, it won't just be a "nice-to-have" division. It will be one of the company's most important growth levers. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $368,035!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $38,503!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $668,538!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join , and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.*Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Daniel Sparks and/or his clients have positions in Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Tesla's Energy Storage Business Is Quietly Growing at Triple-Digit Rates. Is This the Company's Next Growth Engine? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Musk vs. Trump: Dispute escalates – Musk drops 'Epstein bomb'
The public dispute between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is escalating. In a tweet on Thursday, the Tesla CEO claimed that Trump was mentioned in the files of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The US president fired back on his Truth Social platform. Musk had already sharply criticized Trump's planned 'big, beautiful bill' tax law in recent days.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
How much damage could Donald Trump do to Elon Musk?
Tesla stock soared in the months after the November presidential election because investors were convinced Donald Trump was about to do massive favors for his largest financial backer, Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But Trump can also do great damage to Musk's many business interests. The risk of that damage is one reason that Tesla shares (TSLA) tumbled 14% in trading Thursday following the very nasty and public spat between Trump and Musk. But it's not just Tesla that could be at risk. SpaceX depends on government contracts for a significant share of its revenue. And Tesla, SpaceX and Musk's other companies, including social media platform X, artificial intelligence company xAI and brain-computer interface company Neuralink all face regulation from the federal government. In addition, Musk faces possible investigations of his own activities from agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is looking into whether he violated rules when purchased his initial stake in X, then called Twitter, ahead of launching his takeover bid for the company. Trump appeared to threaten that he would take such action against Musk, as he posted on his Truth social media platform Thursday that, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' To which Musk replied on his social media platform X: 'This just gets better and better,' followed by two laughing face emojis, along with 'Go ahead, make my day.' Tesla has relatively few government contracts. But there are numerous federal policies that directly affect its finances, including a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle buyers that allows Tesla and other automakers to raise prices. That was likely worth billions to Tesla last year alone. In addition, Tesla reported more than $8 billion in sales over six years of regulatory credits to other automakers to help them comply with federal and state emission standards. Trump is in favor of rolling back those standards and stripping states of the power to set their own emissions rules, which would destroy the market for those credit sales. A note from JPMorgan to clients Thursday estimates the loss of the EV tax credit could cost Tesla $1.2 billion a year and the loss of regulatory credit sales another $2 billion. Musk has also pegged the future of the growth of Tesla on operating a self-driving taxi service without any driver on board. Tesla's current 'full self driving' offering (FSD) requires a driver to be present to take control of the car. The service is due to debut in Austin, Texas, later this month. He admits his ambitious growth plans could be constrained by regulations. In addition, the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also already announced investigations into accidents involving existing Tesla cars operating with FSD. Many Tesla fans assumed those investigations would be dropped under a Tesla-friendly Trump administration. SpaceX has received $15.2 billion in contracts from NASA, as well as $5.8 billion from the Department of Defense, along with a few million more from other agencies, according to Replacing SpaceX on those contracts, however, is not realistic. That's because there is no other company available to replace it. For example, Boeing, the only other company able transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), had problems on its only crewed flight last year. That required its Starliner spacecraft to return to Earth without two astronauts, who were stranded at the ISS for nine months instead of the planned trip of a handful of days. But SpaceX also is subject to the oversight of both NASA and the FAA. Its Starlink satellite internet communication service is also seeking approval from the FCC to expand its service.
