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
14 Oct, 11:11pm
UTC
Tranche 1 Transport Layer C is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, which will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms from Low Earth Orbit satellites. The constellation will be interconnected with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) which have significantly increased performance over existing radio frequency crosslinks. It is expected to operate over Ka band, have stereo coverage and be dynamically networked for simpler hand-offs, greater bandwidth and fault tolerance. This launch carries 21 satellites manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
Last Update: Tweaked T-0.
18 Oct, 12:09am
UTC
A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Last Update: Tweaked launch window.
20 Oct, 11:00am
UTC
A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Updated: Oct 9, 10:30am UTC
TBD
Oct 2025
A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Last Update: Reverted back to NET August TBD with lack of confirmation.
TBD
Nov 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: Reverted back to November 16.
Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.
Last Update: NET November.
First of six missions launched by the Space Development Agency for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
Last Update: NET March 2025.
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Oct 9, 10:30am UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Oct 7, 6:30pm UTC
24 satellites for Rivada's internet constellation.
Updated: Oct 7, 2:00pm 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 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
TBD
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
2025
True Anomaly’s Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV) will support U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command’s VICTUS HAZE Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission with operations in orbit proximity with another spacecraft built by Rocket Lab National Security. The spacecraft, once completed, will remain on call until the U.S. Space Force provides the notice to launch. The Firefly team will then have 24 hours to transport the payload fairing to the pad, mate the fairing to the Alpha rocket, fuel the rocket, and launch within the first available window.
Updated: Oct 21, 9:00am UTC
TBD
Feb 2026
QuickSounder is the first satellite mission of the Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which aims to replace the current Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) series of polar orbit weather satellites. This pathfinder mission will demonstrate NOAA's ability to launch a small satellite within 3 years, flying a refurbished Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument to polar orbit.
Updated: Oct 3, 1:00am UTC
TBD
Feb 2026
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.
Last Update: NET February 2026.
Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.
Updated: Jun 17, 2:00am 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