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Is there a SpaceX launch today? What to know about liftoff, sonic booms in California
Is there a SpaceX launch today? What to know about liftoff, sonic booms in California

Yahoo

time5 days ago

  • Science
  • Yahoo

Is there a SpaceX launch today? What to know about liftoff, sonic booms in California

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Californians could catch the first Starlink satellite launch in more than a week from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the internet-beaming satellites could get off the ground before the end of the weekend, if all goes to plan. The impending rocket launch would be the latest Starlink delivery from Southern California since July 18 and the second spaceflight within a week after NASA sent two science satellites into orbit for its TRACERS mission July 23. Billionaire Elon Musk's rocket company has of late bolstered its orbital Starlink deployments from Vandenberg – providing entertainment to space enthusiasts and angering some Santa Barbara County residents opposed to the increased launches. As you make your rocket viewing plans, though, an important disclaimer to keep on mind is this: Launches can be – and often are – scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending rocket launch. In the meantime, here's what to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, as well as when and where to watch it: California rocket launches: Here's what's due to launch in July from Vandenberg What time is the SpaceX rocket launch from California? A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates the launch is being targeted for Sunday, July 27, with backup opportunities available the following day, if needed. However, multiple websites dedicated to tracking rocket launches instead suggest the launch window could open as early as 8:55 p.m. PT Saturday, July 26. Neither the Vandenberg Space Force Base, nor SpaceX, have yet officially confirmed the launch. SpaceX Dragon landing: Axiom 4 mission becomes latest spaceflight to make splashdown off California coast Where is the next launch from California? The launch will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Most launches from Vandenberg fly at a south or southeast trajectory. What is the next mission launching from Vandenberg? The spaceflight will make use of the company's famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world's most active, to deliver Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The altitude is low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. How to watch SpaceX Starlink launch livestream SpaceX will provide a webcast of the Starlink launch on its website, beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. Where to watch the Starlink launch in California 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 the Vandenberg Space Force Base 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 The city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County is filled with places to catch a rocket launch. The city's tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, even maintains 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. Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue, one of the closest and most popular places to watch rocket launches near Lompoc, as long as it's open and accessible. But a word of caution: There is an active train track, the Amtrak Surf Station, that visitors must cross. While trains don't run during launch windows, the vehicles could start up again with little warning if a liftoff is scrubbed. Will there be sonic booms? Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County, California, could hear sonic booms, according to Vandenberg Space Force Base. Sonic booms are brief, thunder-like noises that are often heard from the ground when a spacecraft or aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound. What to know about reentry Following the launch, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. What is SpaceX? Elon Musk, the world's richest man, founded SpaceX in 2002. The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city. SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from both California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately-funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon. The most recent of SpaceX's private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024. SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. What is Starlink? Owned by Musk, Starlink is a constellation of nearly 8,000 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from both Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Residential plans for Starlink services start at $80 per month. Starlink missions: Why does SpaceX launch Starlink satellites from California? What is the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California? The Vandenberg Space Force Base is a rocket launch site in Santa Barbara County in Southern California. Established in 1941, the site was previously known as the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Though it's a military base, the site also hosts both civil and commercial space launches for entities like NASA and SpaceX. Space Launch Delta 30, a unit of Space Force, is responsible for managing the launch operations at Vandenberg, as well as the missile tests that take place at the base. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: California rocket launch today: When, where to see SpaceX liftoff Solve the daily Crossword

Why Rocket Lab Stock Skyrocketed This Week
Why Rocket Lab Stock Skyrocketed This Week

Globe and Mail

time29-06-2025

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

Why Rocket Lab Stock Skyrocketed This Week

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) stock soared this week thanks to a combination of bullish catalysts. The space-tech company's share price climbed 17.8% from the previous Friday's market close in a stretch that saw the S&P 500 index rise 3.4% and set a new record high. Strong bullish momentum shaped the broader market this week as the new ceasefire between Israel and Iran lessened geopolitical volatility and investors bet that the Federal Reserve is poised to take a more dovish stance on interest rates. Rocket Lab stock also got a boost from new rocket launches and rising excitement surrounding defense applications within the space industry. Rocket Lab stock surges on European Space Agency deal In addition to the bullish backdrop for the broader market, some major business-specific news pushed Rocket Lab's valuation higher this week. As with the S&P 500, the company's stock hit a new record in this week's trading. Rocket Lab announced on Wednesday that it won a new contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for two satellite launches. The first of the launches could take place as early as December, and the ESA said that it had selected Rocket Lab for the missions because rapid turnaround time for the initiatives was a key priority. Rocket Lab hits new Electron rocket milestones Rocket Lab published a press release on Thursday announcing that it had successfully completed the launch of its 67th Electron rocket, which carried four satellites into low-Earth orbit for HawkEye 360 -- a provider of geospatial analytics. The company followed it up with the 68th successful Electron launch on Saturday, marking its fastest-ever turnaround between launches. The space-tech specialist now has a market capitalization of roughly $16.3 billion and is valued at approximately 28.5 times this year's expected sales. While the company's growth-dependent valuation creates potential for downside volatility, the business does appear to be scoring some big wins and is scaling rapidly. Should you invest $1,000 in Rocket Lab right now? Before you buy stock in Rocket Lab, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Rocket Lab wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $713,547!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $966,931!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to177%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025

Rocket Lab Fast-Tracks Electron Launch for HawkEye 360
Rocket Lab Fast-Tracks Electron Launch for HawkEye 360

Globe and Mail

time25-06-2025

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

Rocket Lab Fast-Tracks Electron Launch for HawkEye 360

Rocket Lab USA Corporation RKLB recently announced a rapid turnaround in its Electron launch schedule to accommodate the next mission for HawkEye 360, a geospatial analytics company. Scheduled to lift off no earlier than Thursday, June 26th UTC from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the mission—titled 'Get The Hawk Outta Here'—will fly ahead of a previously planned launch that was postponed for additional checks. This adjustment highlights Rocket Lab's ability to deliver peak operational efficiency and flexibility amid a demanding, back-to-back launch schedule, thereby strengthening its footprint in the space launch services industry. What's Favoring RKLB Stock? In the modern era of space exploration, factors like rapid technological advancements, the growing demand for satellite deployment, increasing commercial space activities and rising investments in space infrastructure are fueling the growth of the space launch services market. This must have prompted the Grand View Research firm to estimate that the global space launch services market will witness a compound annual growth rate of 15.6% during the 2024-2030 time period. Such robust market growth prospects are expected to benefit companies like Rocket Lab. With its advanced Electron rocket and expanding capabilities in small satellite launches, the company is well-positioned to leverage the booming demand for frequent and cost-effective launches. To capture further market shares, Rocket Lab is currently developing the Neutron rocket, designed for larger payloads and constellation deployments. This new product should further bolster RKLB's position in the market and fetch solid revenues. Opportunities for Other Space Stocks Other companies that are expected to enjoy the perks of the expanding global space launch services market have been discussed below. Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC: It provides launch vehicles and propulsion systems through its space systems division. The company's innovations in rocket technology and satellite deployment make it a significant beneficiary of the growing demand for space launch services. Northrop has a long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate of 3.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC's 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 2.8%. The Boeing Company BA and Lockheed Martin Corporation 's LMT joint venture, United Launch Alliance ('ULA'), has been the United States' premier launch services provider since its establishment in 2006. The JV has successfully launched more than 150 Atlas and Delta rockets since 2006. Boeing has a long-term earnings growth rate of 18.1%, while that for Lockheed is pegged at 10.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BA and LMT's 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 25.6% and 4.7%, respectively. RKLB Stock's Price Movement Shares of RKLB have gained 603% in the past year compared with the industry 's 46.6% growth. RKLB's Zacks Rank RKLB currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and Sells We're not kidding. Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent. Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators, and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone. See Stocks Now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Boeing Company (BA): Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC): Free Stock Analysis Report Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB): Free Stock Analysis Report

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