The commercial rocket company, founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk, previously delayed three times its first launch of August from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The bad news for Arizonans? A launch on the schedule for the weekend may be hard to see since it’s being targeted for the daytime hours.

Because of Arizona’s proximity to the launch site, people there can often see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning.

Two rocket launches from California within a week? That’s the plan as SpaceX gears up for another Starlink mission after a slow start to the month for its West Coast operations.

The commercial rocket company, founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk, previously delayed three times its first launch of August from the Vandenberg Space Force Base before the Falcon 9 rocket finally got off the ground Wednesday, Aug. 13.

The good news for spaceflight fans? A slew of SpaceX missions to deploy internet-beaming Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit remain on the schedule for the remainder of August from Santa Barbara County.

But the bad news for Arizonans? A launch on the schedule for the weekend may be hard to see since it’s being targeted for the daytime hours.

What’s more, as has become clear this month, launches clearly can be scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. As you make your rocket-viewing plans, check back with azcentral.com for any updates on the impending 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 Arizona.

What time is the SpaceX rocket launch from California?

SpaceX is working toward a Sunday, Aug. 17 launch of its Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The four-hour launch window opens at 8:44 a.m. PT, according to the company’s website.

A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests backup opportunities are available the next day if liftoff is postponed.

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

What is the next mission launching from Vandenberg in California?

SpaceX will launch its famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world’s most active, to deliver 24 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

The altitude is low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly.

How to watch SpaceX Starlink launch livestream

As with most SpaceX missions, the launch will be available to stream on the company’s website beginning about five minutes before liftoff. SpaceX may also provide updates on social media site X.

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.

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 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 Starlink?

Owned by 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.

Residential plans for Starlink services start at $80 per month.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com