Rocket Launches in California
An up-to-date list of all 50 scheduled rocket launches in California, and a map of active launch sites.
Rocket Launch Sites in California
Mojave Air and Space Port
A leading air launch facility for private spaceflight and aerospace research in Mojave, California.
Vandenberg SFB
U.S. Space Force facility in California for spacecraft launches and missile testing.
Upcoming California Launches
Tenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imaging and other reconnaissance capabilities.
Last Update: GO for launch.
25 Apr, 9:40pm
UTC
A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Last Update: NET April 25.
27 Apr, 1:37pm
UTC
Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.
Last Update: Delayed to NET April 27 per NOTAMs.
NASA's Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission, consisting of two identical satellites that will orbit Earth in tandem (one following the other), will help understand magnetic re-connection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic re-connection occurs when activity from the Sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for impacts of solar activity on Earth.
Last Update: Changed launch site.
TBD
May 2025
The Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather System (EWS) Operational Demonstration-1 (OD-1) is a weather satellite for the United States Space Force. It is a prototype satellite made by General Atomics that will be place in LEO for a three-year demonstration mission of new EO/IR sensor technologies to various US military branches, and to act as a stop-gap for Defense Department needs for weather data.
Updated: Apr 20, 6:00am UTC
NAOS (National Advanced Optical System) is the space component of Luxembourg's governmental dual-use observation satellite system LUXEOSys (Luxembourg Earth Observation System). Its purpose is to provide high resolution images to national and international governmental and military organizations such as NATO. The 800 kg satellite is built by OHB Italia and is equipped with a very high-resolution optical camera with a ground reolution of 50 cm in an around 450 km high sun-synchronous orbit. It will have a operational life time of 7 years.
Last Update: NET 1H 2025.
Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.
Last Update: Changed launch site.
TBD
Jun 2025
First of up to 25 launches of Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration satellites to be built and operated by Lockheed Martin. TacSat is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance spacecraft with a mission to prove specialized sensing and communications capabilities on orbit. The satellite will participate in exercises that highlight cross-domain kill-web connectivity, enabling timely execution of tactical space missions. TacSat will host a proven Lockheed Martin infrared sensor on board that brings previously developed technology to space for the first time. This sensor produces high quality imagery and it can interface with federated Battle Management Command & Control (BMC2) combat systems to provide joint forces with a comprehensive view of threats. The satellite will also feature Lockheed Martin’s first 5G.MIL® payload on orbit. This provides cellular-like networking for military space assets, making satellite constellations more resilient. It also helps enable seamless connectivity with tools in the air, at sea and on land. Launch operation will also again demonstrate responsive space pre-launch operation capabilities.
Last Update: NET 1H 2025.
TBD
Sep 2025
Classified mission launched by the Space Development Agency (SDA) for Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
Last Update: NET late summer. (order of launches per https://sam.gov/opp/7111789df59149cd81596402c35e33d3/view P.12)
TBD
Sep 2025
STP-S29A is a mission under the U.S. Department of Defense's Space Test Program (STP) that will deliver technology demonstrations to orbit and contribute to future space system development, with this launch delivering up to 200 kg of STP cubesats to Low Earth Orbit. The main payload will be STPSat-7, an ESPA class satellite based on the Aegis Aerospace M-1 satellite bus used on the STPSat-4 mission for hosting research and technology demonstration payloads for the Department of Defense (DoD). One of the payload is U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Lightsheet Anomaly Resolution and Debris Observation (LARADO) instrument, used to detect and characterize lethal non-trackable orbital debris with lasers in orbit.
Updated: Oct 13, 6:00pm UTC
Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.
Last Update: Changed launch site.
First of six missions launched by the Space Development Agency for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
Last Update: NET March 2025.
TBD
2025
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (launched November 2020) and Sentinel-6B make up the Sentinel-6 mission, also known as Jason Continuity of Service (Jason-CS), which is a partnership between NASA, NOAA, ESA, and EUMETSAT. This mission continues the long-term global sea surface height data record begun by first Jason satellites in 1992.
Last Update: NET late 2025.
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
TBD
2025
CAS500-2 is the second of two similar South Korean Earth observation satellites. These spacecraft feature the AEISS-C imaging system with a ground resolution of 0.5 m in panchromatic mode and 2 m in color mode. CAS500-4 is a wide area Earth-observation satellite with a wide-area electro-optical camera (swath width of 120 km and resolution of 5 m) to be mainly used by the Rural Development Administration and the Korea Forest Service for observing crops, agricultural water resources and forest resources.
Last Update: New launch contract with SpaceX confirmed following previous contract voided due to Ukraine-Russia war.
Classified mission launched by the Space Development Agency (SDA) for Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
Classified mission launched by the Space Development Agency (SDA) for Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
Classified mission launched by the Space Development Agency (SDA) for Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
Classified mission launched by the Space Development Agency (SDA) for Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
Updated: Apr 12, 11:33pm UTC
Classified mission launched by the Space Development Agency (SDA) for Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.
Updated: Jan 3, 8:05pm UTC