SpaceX to Launch Transporter-15 Mission from Vandenberg This Week

Update as of Nov 26 @ 10:32 a.m. – This launch has been rescheduled for Friday, November 28th, between 10:18 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. PT

SpaceX announced it will launch its Transporter-15 mission to sun-synchronous orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base on November 26, 2025. 

The 57-minute launch window for the Falcon 9 rocket will begin at 10:18 a.m. PT, the company said on its website. 

Following stage separation, the rocket will land on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. 

A live webcast of the mission will be available 15 minutes before liftoff. It can be viewed on the SpaceX website, on X @SpaceX, and on the X TV app. 

This will be the 30th flight for the first-stage booster supporting the mission that earlier launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-153, NROL-192, Transporter-14, and 18 Starlink missions. 

Earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limited commercial space launches to nighttime hours due to staffing constraints caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown. 

From November 10, 2025, commercial space launches and reentries are allowed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, according to the order. 

On November 23, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit at 12:48 a.m., the space base wrote in a Facebook post. 

Possibility of Experiencing Sonic Booms

Residents of and visitors to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may experience one or more sonic booms during the launch, SpaceX said. 

However, the sonic boom will depend on the weather and other factors. 

A sonic boom is a brief, thunder-like noise created when a rocket travels faster than the speed of sound. While sonic booms do not cause injury, the loud sound can startle residents. 

About Falcon 9

Designed and manufactured by SpaceX, Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket that transports humans and payloads into Earth’s orbit and beyond. 

It is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket, according to SpaceX. 

The reusability feature allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts, in turn reducing the cost of space access. 

Falcon 9 generates more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level. 

So far, SpaceX has completed 566 missions and 520 landings using the Falcon 9 rockets. There have been 487 reflights of the rocket. 

Last week, Falcon 9 completed its 150th launch of this year, SpaceX wrote in a social media post on November 22, 2025.