Overview
- Falcon 9, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday evening, sent 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit and left a bright vapor trail across the region.
- Viewers shared what they saw, including video from Joseph Branham recorded about six minutes after liftoff and a clear photo of the trail from Patti Fuller in downtown Sonora.
- Northrop Grumman’s STP‑S29A mission is planned Tuesday morning on a Minotaur IV rocket to carry Pentagon Space Test Program cubesats, as listed in the FAA planning advisory.
- Another Starlink batch is targeted for Thursday night from the same base, with SpaceX aiming to land the booster on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific.
- Vandenberg’s three‑launch week underscores SpaceX’s steady tempo from the West Coast, though all listed windows remain subject to change because delays are common in spaceflight.