Rare West Coast Rocket Launch May Be Visible In SoCal Sky

LOS ANGELES, CA — California early birds will have a chance to see an uncommon West Coast rocket launch Friday morning. If all goes according to plan, the SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 6:19 a.m., about a half hour after sunrise.

It may be visible in the sky across Southern California. For those who want to see it close up, the SpaceX will live-stream the launch beginning 15 minutes early.

The rocket will carry Iridium and OneWeb communications satellites to orbit around Earth. The Falcon 9 first stage booster has launched several times before supporting the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-7, and seven Starlink missions, according to SpaceX.

After separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship waiting in the Pacific Ocean.

If Friday's launch gets scrapped, a backup launch opportunity is scheduled for Saturday at 6:15 a.m.

Most rocket launches take place from the East Coast because the Earth rotates from west to east, giving a rocket launching in an easterly direction the added benefit of the Earth's rotational speed. However, another West Coast launch is scheduled for June 8 when the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 8 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base.