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SpaceX rocket launches have increased in California. Not all residents are happy.
Rocket launches in California are on the rise.
That's good news for space enthusiasts and anyone in the region who enjoys watching SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 spacecraft soar into the sky multiple times a week.
But for many residents who live near the Vandenberg Space Force Base, a powerful rocket liftoff is not exactly a welcome sight to behold. That's because when a Falcon 9 or any other spacecraft gets off the ground from the Santa Barbara County spaceport, it's not just its visage that they have to endure.
Rattling houses, terrified pets and startling bomb-like noises known as sonic booms are just a few of the effects that residents in certain parts of California, a state known for its earthquakes, can expect anytime a rocket launches for orbit.
And while Floridians on the Space Coast have long adapted to constant rocket launches in a region famed for them, Californians may still be grappling with the effects of a growing space industry.
Vandenberg Space Force Base: 4 things to know about site of California rocket launches
Here's what to know about SpaceX and other rocket launches from Vandenberg, as well as how liftoffs are perceived by residents and would-be spectators alike.
Vandenberg hosts a regular cadence of weekly rocket launches, most from its Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E).
SpaceX conducted all six of the rocket launches in June from the Vandenberg Space Force Base – all but one of which was a Starlink mission to deploy internet satellites into orbit. Following about a two-week break in July, spaceflights are scheduled to resume from Southern California with a potential Tuesday, July 15 launch of another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink-deployment mission.
On June 23, the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk also launched Transporter 14 – a rideshare mission to deliver 70 payloads for paying customers into orbit. Most prominently, the Falcon 9 transported a spacecraft carrying the remains of 166 individuals for Houston company Celestis' most recent memorial spaceflight.
But it's not just SpaceX that launches from Vandenberg.
In March, NASA contracted a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to boost both its SPHEREx space telescope and small sun-observing PUNCH satellites into orbit following a launch from the base.
And in late April, Texas spaceflight company Firefly Aerospace attempted to launch prototype satellites into orbit for Lockheed Martin from the base.
Rocket launches have steadily increased from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in recent years.
As recently as 2023, just six rockets took off from the Southern California spaceport before launches spiked to 36 in 2024.
In 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, gave SpaceX the greenlight to increase its Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg to 50.
What's more, a proposal on the table would double the number of annual launches from Vandenberg using SpaceX's Falcon 9 to 100.
Those who enjoy seeing a spacecraft thunder into the sky should be encouraged by the developments.
Because Vandenberg is an active military base, the launch complex does not host public viewings of launches. But if conditions are clear, plenty of people have been known to gather near the base to watch rocket launches, which can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
Several spots around Lompoc in Santa Barbara County have become well-known as prime places to catch a rocket launch, and the city's tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, even maintains a list with suggested viewing locations.
Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, many residents in the neighboring state also gather to glimpse spacecraft that can be visible streaking across the sky, especially at night or very early morning.
Still, not everyone in California is as enthused by the prospect of more and more rockets getting off the ground from their backyard.
Multiple residents have opposed plans to ramp up launches from Vandenberg during a series of public hearings in Santa Barbara County.
At a June 10 meeting, for instance, 11 people spoke about how rocket launches can disrupt their lives, scare their pets, and shake and damage their homes.
Why? That'd be the sonic booms.
The brief, thunder-like noises, which occur when a spacecraft travels faster than the speed of sound, can often be heard from the ground Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County.
Department of Air Force officials, working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, won't decide on the proposal until fall 2025.
Officials at Vandenberg Space Force Base are well aware of how rocket launches can disrupt the lives of those who live near there.
For that reason, the military base has commissioned an ongoing study into sonic boom patterns created by spacecraft launching from the spaceport. The goal, as noted in a June press release, is "to reduce potential disturbances" launches can have on populated areas.
That partially explains why almost all of the rocket launches from Vandenberg occur during the day, rather than early in the morning or late at night when they're more likely to be disruptive.
Contributing: Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Rocket launches have increased in California. Not all are happy.
