The U.S. Space Force has cleared two overnight-to-morning launch operations at Vandenberg this week: a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying 24 Starlink satellites on Tuesday evening, May 19, followed by an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test in the early hours of Wednesday, May 20.
SpaceX Starlink 17-42 launch window: Tuesday, May 19, 7:11–9:01 p.m. PT
- Vehicle/site: Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E)
- Mission: Deployment of 24 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit
- Booster: Second flight of the first-stage booster; post-separation landing planned on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific
- How to watch: Live webcast begins ~5 minutes before liftoff at https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-42, on X @SpaceX, and the X TV app
- Community note: Residents in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms, depending on weather and other conditions
Minuteman III ICBM operational test (GT 256): Wednesday, May 20, 12:01–6:01 a.m. PT
- Location: Northern portion of Vandenberg Space Force Base
- Context: A routine test scheduled years in advance and not in response to world events
- Purpose: To validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system, according to Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)
- Contacts: For VSFB range operations and launch window inquiries, call 805-606-3595 or email [email protected]. For ICBM mission questions, contact AFGSC Public Affairs at 318-456-1305 or [email protected]
Base officials emphasized that the two operations are separate. Vandenberg SFB continues to serve as a key national-security spaceport, enabling assured access to space and supporting missions that include nuclear deterrence, homeland defense, global command and control of space assets, orbital tracking, and training for Space Force Guardians and nuclear Airmen…