Three launches slated from Vandenberg SFB over four days; residents may hear sonic booms

A trio of launches is scheduled from Vandenberg Space Force Base over a four-day span beginning Saturday, Feb. 28, potentially treating Central Coast residents to multiple sky shows — and the sound of one or more sonic booms — base officials said.

Firefly Alpha target: Sunday evening

• Firefly Aerospace plans to launch its Alpha rocket on mission FLTA007 from Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) during a window from 4:50 to 6:50 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, March 1.
• Firefly Aerospace initially planned for Saturday evening but adjusted the timeframe while monitoring upper-level winds.
• Backup opportunities are available March 2 during the same two-hour window.
• Firefly will stream the countdown and liftoff beginning at T-20 minutes at: https://www.youtube.com/@FireflySpace/streams.

SpaceX Falcon 9 pre-dawn launch Sunday

• The U.S. Space Force has approved a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of the Starlink 17-23 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) on Sunday, March 1, with a window from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. PT.
• SpaceX plans a live webcast beginning about five minutes before liftoff at https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-25 and on X @SpaceX, including the X TV app.

Minuteman III test set for March 3–4

• An operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, overseen by Air Force Global Strike Command, is scheduled from north Vandenberg between 11:01 p.m. and 5:01 a.m. PT from March 3 to March 4.
• AFGSC says the test program validates and verifies the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system. The event is routine and was scheduled years in advance.

What residents may see and hear

• Depending on weather and other conditions, people in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms associated with the launches. The intensity and audibility can vary widely.
• Nighttime and pre-dawn launch windows (Falcon 9 and Minuteman III) may create visible light trails across the sky, while the late-afternoon Firefly window could produce contrails illuminated by the setting sun.

How to watch

• Firefly Alpha FLTA007: livestream at T-20 minutes via Firefly’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FireflySpace/streams.
• SpaceX Starlink 17-23: webcast starts ~T-5 minutes at https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-25 and on X @SpaceX and the X TV app.

Launch schedules are subject to change for range availability, weather, and technical reasons. Officials did not announce any public viewing areas; spectators should remain off base property and obey all posted restrictions.