SpaceX could launch a Starlink deployment mission for the fourth time in June from Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California.

SpaceX's regular launches from Southern California will continue with another upcoming orbital delivery of Starlink satellites.

The commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk is planning to get another Falcon 9 rocket off the ground from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. The two-stage 230-foot rocket, one of the world's most active, has become central in SpaceX's ongoing campaign to deploy internet-beaming Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

And fortunately for space enthusiasts in California, the impending weekday launch coming after Father's Day weekend should be widely visible across southern portions of the state.

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.

What time is the SpaceX rocket launch from California?

SpaceX is targeting the launch for as early as 8:36 p.m. PT Monday, June 16, with backup opportunities available until 9:07 p.m., according to a launch alert from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available starting at 5:37 p.m. PT Tuesday, June 17.

Where is the next launch from California?

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, California. Most launches from Vandenberg fly at a south or southeast trajectory.

Following the delivery and deployment of 26 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.

Will there be sonic booms?

Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms , according to the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

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.

How to watch SpaceX Starlink launch livestream

SpaceX will provide a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X .

Where to watch the Starlink launch in California

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 the Vandenberg Space Force Base can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

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 .

What is the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California?

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.

What is Starlink?

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.

This article has been updated to add new information.