Latest news with #Vandenberg
CBS News
2 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
SpaceX launch could create sonic boom in Southern California, officials advise
A SpaceX launch scheduled on Tuesday morning could create a large sonic boom heard across Southern California, officials advise. The Falcon 9 launch of NASA's TRACERS mission, which will take place at Vandenberg Space Force Base's Space Launch Complex 4 East, is scheduled at 11:13 a.m. with an 57-minute long launch window. "About eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9's first stage will land on SpaceX's Landing Zone 4 ... at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California," said a release from SpaceX. "There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions." If necessary, a backup launch date is scheduled for Wednesday at the same time. TRACERS, or Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites, is a program that aims to "help understand magnetic reconnection and its effects in Earth's atmosphere," according to NASA's website. Scientists will evaluate how weather in space affects the weather on Earth. In May, a sonic boom shook most of Southern California as SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere after a launch nearly a day earlier.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch on NASA satellite mission: Will it be visible in Arizona sky?
The next spacecraft scheduled to launch from California is a Falcon 9 rocket. But this time, the SpaceX vehicle won't be carrying a batch of Starlink satellites. Instead, aboard the spacecraft will be twin NASA satellites that will orbit Earth in tandem while studying how the sun's powerful activity can disrupt our planet's magnetosphere. But that information may not matter much to those on the ground who just want to see a rocket thundering high overhead after getting off the ground. Visibility for those in Arizona may be tough: The next launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, is scheduled for the daylight hours – making the Falcon 9 much more unlikely to be visible as it soars upward. What's more, 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 for any updates on the rocket launch. In the meantime, here's what to know about the launch from Southern California, as well as when and where to potentially spot the rocket in neighboring Arizona: California rocket launches: SpaceX rocket launches have increased in California, and not all residents are happy What time is the SpaceX rocket launch from California? A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates the launch is being targeted for Tuesday, July 22, with backup opportunities available the following day, if needed. The launch window opens at 11:13 a.m. PT, according to NASA. The Vandenberg Space Force Base has not yet provided an official launch alert. Where is the next rocket 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? SpaceX will serve as the launch service provider for a NASA mission to launch twin satellites to study solar activity's effects on Earth. The TRACERS mission (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) will make use of the company's famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world's most active, to get the satellites into orbit, where they will observe observe how solar wind interact with Earth's magnetosphere. How to watch SpaceX Starlink launch livestream SpaceX may provide a webcast of the Starlink launch close to liftoff time on its website, along with updates on social media site X. The company often retweets posts by its founder, Elon Musk. California rocket launch could be visible in Arizona: Where to watch Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, there's a good chance people there can see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning. Here's a list of some possible viewing locations compiled by The Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication. Dobbins Lookout, South Mountain, 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona Papago Park, 625 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona Fountain Hills, a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, which in 2018 was designated a Dark Sky Community with little light pollution Superstition Mountains, located 40 miles from metro Phoenix in Arizona Cave Creek, a town in Maricopa County about 30 miles north of Fountain Hills, Arizona Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 3400 Sky Harbor Blvd., Arizona, which has a parking garage that is popular for plane-watching Black Canyon City, an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona Any mountain park in Arizona , 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, Arizona , 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye, Arizona , 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, Arizona , 6533 W. Phillips Road, Queen Creek, Arizona Monument Hill, a 150-foot slope on 115th Avenue, in Arizona 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. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX rocket launch, NASA mission: Will people in Arizona see liftoff Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
California rocket launch schedule: Here's what's due to launch in July from Vandenberg
Get ready to look up: Three more rocket launches could be commencing in the week ahead from Southern California. That includes not only SpaceX's regular slate of Starlink deliveries getting off the ground from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County , but also a NASA mission. Vandenberg and SpaceX typically don't officially confirm California launches until about a day ahead of time, and the Federal Aviation Administration's operations plan advisory is constantly updating. Still, multiple online websites that track launches suggest that NASA is planning a scientific mission while SpaceX is planning at least two more Starlink internet-beaming satellite deployments. For those who enjoy seeing SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket soaring across the sky, you're in luck: the upcoming rocket launches from Vandenberg should be widely visible across Southern California – and perhaps even Arizona. But it's important to keep in mind that rocket launches can be – and often are – delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. Make sure to visit VC Star for the latest mission updates. Here's a look at the upcoming July 2025 launch schedule (so far) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. What is the Vandenberg Space Force Base? 4 things to know about California rocket launches Tuesday, July 22: NASA TRACERS Agency: NASA Mission: SpaceX will serve as the launch service provider for a NASA mission to launch twin satellites to study solar activity's effects on Earth for the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission. Rocket: Falcon 9, a 230-foot, two-stage rocket Launch window: 11:13 a.m. PT Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Booster landing: Return to launch site for landing at LZ-4. Friday, July 25: Starlink 17-2 Agency: SpaceX Mission: Deploy Starlink V2 mini Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit Rocket: Falcon 9, a 230-foot, two-stage rocket Launch window: 7:09 p.m. PT Saturday, July 26, 2025 Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base Booster landing: SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean Tuesday, July 29: Starlink 13-4 Agency: SpaceX Mission: Deploy Starlink V2 mini Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit Rocket: Falcon 9, a 230-foot, two-stage rocket Launch window: 8:39 a.m. PT Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Rocket launch location: Space Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base Booster landing: SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Is there a rocket launch today? Schedule from Vandenberg in California Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX sends 24 Starlink satellites to polar orbit in late night launch
July 19 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched 24 more Starlink satellites late Friday from California into low-Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:52 p.m. PDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base's pad 4 East. Watch Falcon 9 launch 24 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 19, 2025 About eight minutes later, Falcon 9's first-stage booster successfully landed on "Of Course I Still Love You" stationed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the booster's 14th mission, and 141st on this vessel and 477th of all droneships. SpaceX has launched 88 Falcon 9 rockets this year and 516th overall in California and Florida. The satellites were deployed into a polar orbit about one hour later. Falcon 9 launches 24 @Starlink satellites from California SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 19, 2025 The Starlink network includes 7,965 active units launched since 2019, reported. The satellites provide broadband internet access and direct-to-cell service. The next SpaceX flight from Florida is scheduled for 5:12 p.m. EDT Monday at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Complex 40. A Falcon 9 will launch the fifth pair of 03b mPower satellites to medium Earth orbit for Luxembourg-based SES.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Renowned human rights lawyer urges Korea to adopt forced labor import ban
No company is free from forced labor in global supply chain, stresses Vandenberg, founder of Human Trafficking Legal Center American human rights lawyer Martina Vandenberg has called on South Korea, an important economy in the global supply chain, to enact an import ban on goods made with forced labor during her recent visit to Seoul, saying such a measure would benefit not only exploited workers abroad but Korean workers as well. "Forced labor is ubiquitous, and it is so frequently found in global supply chains" said Vandenberg, president of Washington-based Human Trafficking Legal Center, in an interview with The Korea Herald. It is 'a feature, not a bug' in the global economic system, and 'it's systematic.' She visited Seoul earlier this month to speak at a forum on the forced labor issue, co-hosted by the National Assembly Labor Forum, the National Human Rights Commission and the Korean Bar Association. The Human Trafficking Legal Center, founded by Vandenberg, is a nonprofit that trains pro bono lawyers to seek restitution for human trafficking victims. She has trained more than 4,000 pro bono attorneys. 'At this point in the global economy, if you want a job and you're coming from a poor country, you have to buy that job,' she said. 'You pay recruitment fees, fees for medical tests, fees to travel. And when workers arrive at the job site, they discover they're not being paid the rate they were promised. Their debt back home keeps growing. They may be victims of deception, violence or even sexual violence.' "When so many workers across the globe are experiencing forced labor, we have to ask how the system is so broken," she added. She explained that many firms build layers of subcontractors — "subcontractors, and subcontractors and subcontractors" — to distance themselves from legal responsibility. 'They're trying to avoid liability, both criminal and civil.' But the real pressure, she emphasized, comes from the top. 'It's the companies in developed economies putting enormous pressure on supply chains to lower prices.' 'No company is free from this,' Vandenberg said. 'American companies are not free from this. South Korean companies are not free from this.' US import ban model To address the issue, the United States has enforced Section 307 of the Tariff Act, which prohibits the import of goods made with forced labor. Although the law has existed since 1930, it became enforceable only after loopholes were closed in 2016. 'This enforceability has had an enormous impact,' she said. 'Before, companies operated with total impunity. No one would prosecute them. No one would stop them. But now they realize someone is watching. Someone is investigating. And if their supply chain is tainted with forced labor, they may not be able to sell their goods in the US, the EU, Canada or Mexico.' Vandenberg said, 'We hope someday they won't be able to bring their goods into South Korea — when South Korea has an import ban.' 'South Korea is a very important economy, a key player in the global economy,' she added. According to a 2023 report by international human rights group Walk Free, South Korea imports up to $20 billion worth of goods each year that are at risk of being linked to forced labor. Many of these products originate from regions where Uyghur workers and others are forced into labor in the lowest tiers of global supply chains. While Korea has not yet proposed such a bill, The Korea Herald has learned that Rep. Kim Tae-seon of the ruling Democratic Party is preparing to introduce legislation following a series of public discussions. Import bans, she noted, do more than protect workers abroad. 'They also protect workers at home. There's no way a Korean or American worker can compete with someone earning almost nothing. A US steelworker, who testified in a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee several years ago, said 'There's no way I can compete with someone held in slavery.' So US and South Korean workers can't compete when other workers aren't being paid." Vandenberg suggested that import bans can be incorporated into bilateral trade agreements. Canada and Mexico, for example, adopted import bans as part of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, negotiated under the Trump administration in 2020. 'It's a very good way for countries to negotiate with the US — agree to adopt import bans and reach mutually beneficial trade deals,' she said. Korean sea salt under scrutiny The US has already taken action against a Korean company. In April, US Customs and Border Protection issued a withhold release order against products from Taepyung Salt Farm, one of Korea's largest sea salt producers, citing evidence of forced labor. The action followed a 2022 petition from Korean civic groups urging a ban on Korean sea salt allegedly produced under forced labor conditions. According to Vandenberg, the action against the Korean company is highly unusual. 'It's one of only three issued this year -- alongside actions against frankincense from Somaliland and seafood from a Chinese fishing vessel, Zhen Fa 7, which had Indonesian fishers onboard.' 'We don't believe any withhold release order should be modified or revoked until there is proof that workers have been compensated and that conditions have changed,' she said. 'The whole point is not just to block goods — but to change the reality for workers on the ground.' She added, 'There's still a long way to go. It will take attention and effort from the company and Korean authorities before any modification or revocation would be justified.' shinjh@
