What: Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
When: The 27-minute launch window opens at 11:53 a.m. Tuesday, according to SpaceX. If needed, the team has backup opportunities during the same time period Wednesday.
Where: Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base.
Landing: The first-stage booster, making its 27th flight, will return to Landing Zone 4, west of the launch site, on South Base about eight minutes after liftoff.
A sonic boom is possible in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties but will depend on weather and other conditions, SpaceX said.
Why: Deliver the NAOS mission built by OAB Italia. The Earth-observation satellite has been developed for the government of Luxembourg in Western Europe.
Also on board this mission is Dhruva Space’s LEAP-1; Planet’s Pelican-3 and Pelican-4; and four payloads manifested by Exolaunch: Capella’s Acadia-6 and Pixxel’s FFLY-1, FFLY-2, and FFLY-3
Watch: A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin about 15 minutes before liftoff at spacex.com/launches and on X @SpaceX.
To watch the liftoff in person, the Lompoc Valley has multiple locations offering views of the launch pad. Those include the peak of Harris Grade Road, west of Lompoc’s city limits and around Vandenberg Village, including near the intersection of Moonglow and Stardust roads.
Vandenberg launches close to sunset or sunrise can be especially picturesque. If skies are clear, the rocket’s departure might be visible from elsewhere around California and, under certain conditions, other Western states.
