Latest news with #VCStar
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Is there a rocket launch today? Upcoming SpaceX liftoff should be visible in California
The third rocket launch of June from California could be about a day away, and (as usual) it should be widely visible across southern portions of the state. SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on the latest Starlink satellite delivery from the West Coast. The Starlink missions have become by far the most frequent and common rocket launches from Southern California – having comprised all six spaceflight missions in May from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The two-stage 230-foot-tall rocket, one of the world's most active, has become crucial in regularly deploying batches of internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. The good news for Californians is, they have plenty of opportunities to see the Falcon 9 rocket soaring after it gets off the ground. 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. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending rocket launch. Here's what to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as well as when and where to watch it: California rocket launches: Here's a look at the upcoming schedule from Vandenberg A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests SpaceX is targeting the launch for as early as Friday, June 13, with backup opportunities Saturday, June 14. However, multiple websites that track rocket launches suggest the launch window could open at 6:46 p.m. PT Thursday, June 12. Neither the Vandenberg Space Force Base, nor SpaceX have yet officially confirmed the launch. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, 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. Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms, according to an alert from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. 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. SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X, which Elon Musk also owns. 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 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, 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. 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 also benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. 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. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 7,000 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. 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: Where to see SpaceX Falcon 9 lift off
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
When is the next launch from California? When, where to see SpaceX rocket lift off
Yet another SpaceX rocket should soon be visible in the Southern California skies as it gets off the ground from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. For the sixth time in May, Elon Musk's commercial spaceflight company is planning to launch a Falcon 9 rocket bearing a batch of Starlink satellites for delivering to Earth's orbit. The liftoff is targeted for the afternoon of Saturday, May 31. The mission would be the latest to deliver internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. 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. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending rocket launch. Here's what to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as well as when and where to watch it: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket could get off the ground as early as 1:10 p.m. PT Saturday, May 31, with backup opportunities available until 4:51 p.m., according to a launch alert from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available staring at 12:39 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 1. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver 27 Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage 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. Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms, according to an alert from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. 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. SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. 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. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by Elon Musk, the world's richest man. The commercial spaceflight company is contracted with NASA and the Department of Defense to use many of its spacecraft to help launch government missions. SpaceX also conducts many of its own rocket launches – most using its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – including for private crewed missions and to deliver communication satellites to orbit. Established in 1941, the Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a site for both military, civil and commercial space launches. Agencies like NASA and companies like SpaceX routinely launch spacecraft from Vandenberg, a site where missile testing also takes place. Just recently, for instance, Texas spaceflight company Firefly Aerospace attempted to launch prototype satellites into orbit for Lockheed Martin from the base. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 6,700 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX, a commercial spaceflight company, has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from 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. This article has been updated to add new information. 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: When, where to see SpaceX Falcon 9 take off
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is there a rocket launch today? SpaceX targets latest Starlink delivery from California
The first SpaceX rocket to launch in June from California could soon be streaking through the skies, potentially providing quite a site to those watching from the ground. The commercial spaceflight company's Falcon 9 rocket, which got off the ground six times in May from Southern California, is due to make its next orbital delivery of Starlink satellites as early as Tuesday, June 3. Liftoff, as usual, will take place from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The two-stage 230-foot tall rocket, one of the world's most active, has become crucial in regularly deploying batches of internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. 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. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending rocket launch. Here's what to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as well as when and where to watch it: California rocket launch schedule: Upcoming SpaceX missions from Vandenberg A SpaceX rocket could get off the ground as early as Tuesday, June 3, with backup opportunities available Wednesday, June 4, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory. Multiple online websites that track rocket launch schedules suggest the launch window lasts from 4:50 to 8:50 p.m. PT. Neither Vandenberg Space Force Base nor SpaceX have officially confirmed the launch. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage 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. Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms, according to an alert from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. 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. SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. 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. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by Elon Musk, the world's richest man. The commercial spaceflight company is contracted with NASA and the Department of Defense to use many of its spacecraft to help launch government missions. SpaceX also conducts many of its own rocket launches – most using its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – including for private crewed missions and to deliver communication satellites to orbit. Established in 1941, the Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a site for both military, civil and commercial space launches. Agencies like NASA and companies like SpaceX routinely launch spacecraft from Vandenberg, a site where missile testing also takes place. Just recently, for instance, Texas spaceflight company Firefly Aerospace attempted to launch prototype satellites into orbit for Lockheed Martin from the base. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 6,700 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX, a commercial spaceflight company, has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from 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. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: SpaceX rocket launch today? California looking at June 3
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Ventura County jail inmate arrested for elder abuse dies during hospital stay
Officials announced Wednesday that an inmate of the Ventura County's jail system died during a hospital stay in January. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said the man, identified as 69-year-old Cory Meade of Thousand Oaks, was receiving 'advanced medical care' at the Santa Paula Hospital. According to the VC Star, Meade had a few recent convictions, such as a misdemeanor elder abuse and drug possession case from November 2024. 'He had pleaded no contest to the two charges on Dec. 11,' reported the VC Star. The news publication said that during Meade's sentencing on Dec. 18, he was released on 36 months probation with a suspended sentence. However, on Jan. 10, the VC Star said, 'After county probation officials reported violations, he was ordered to serve 120 days in jail, the docket showed.' Meade was housed at the Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula. The sheriff's office said Meade was under the care of the Santa Paula Hospital since Jan. 23, and died around 6:18 p.m. on Jan. 24. The VC Star reported Meade was originally taken to the hospital for previously existing medical conditions unrelated to his jail stay. While the sheriff's office said on Wednesday that the cause of death is under investigation and pending autopsy results, the VC Star reported Meade died from multiple conditions. 'The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office on Wednesday reported the cause of death as pneumonia, influenza A and Staphylococcus aureus with other significant conditions as congestive heart failure, pulmonary emphysema and hypertension,' said the VC Star. 'The manner of death was deemed natural.' The Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau will still investigate Meade's death, as it said it does with all inmate deaths. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
