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SpaceX Falcon 9 Set for Vandenberg Starlink Launch — How and When to Watch

SpaceX is targeting a Starlink launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base with a four-hour window opening at 10:12 a.m. PT on Thursday, Dec. 4, and a backup opportunity the next day. The Falcon 9 — a 230-foot, two-stage rocket — will carry 28 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. SpaceX streams missions live (webcast starts roughly five minutes before liftoff) on its website and the X TV app. Watchers in Palm Springs and parts of Riverside County may see the liftoff in person if conditions permit.

02:35 AM, 12/04/2025Science
SpaceX Falcon 9 Set for Vandenberg Starlink Launch — How and When to Watch

December is underway and SpaceX is maintaining a steady launch cadence from California as 2025 winds down. The company is targeting a Starlink mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County with a four-hour window that opens at 10:12 a.m. PT on Thursday, Dec. 4. A Federal Aviation Administration operations-plan advisory lists a backup opportunity on the following day, Friday, Dec. 5, if the launch must be postponed.

The mission will use a two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9 booster — one of the world's most frequently flown rockets — to deploy 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO), the lower-altitude region where satellites complete orbits quickly. If the launch proceeds as planned, viewers can expect the rocket to lift off sometime within the posted window; the live webcast typically begins about five minutes before liftoff.

Where and how to watch

People in Palm Springs and nearby parts of Riverside County are within reasonable visual range of a Vandenberg liftoff; more distant observers may still see the rocket climb and pass overhead if weather and lighting permit. For those who prefer to watch from home, SpaceX streams most missions on its website and via the X TV mobile app, and posts mission updates to X (formerly Twitter).

What to know about SpaceX and Starlink

SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk in 2002 and is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas, where it has been conducting routine flight tests of the 400-foot Starship megarocket. The company launches frequently from both California and Florida, using the Falcon 9 for the bulk of Starlink satellite deliveries and occasionally flying crewed missions on the Dragon spacecraft.

Starlink is SpaceX's satellite internet service and has grown into a constellation numbering in the thousands of satellites. The company has spent several years building that network with a steady cadence of launches from both coasts while also providing launch services for a range of commercial and government customers.

If you plan to watch, check SpaceX's official channels shortly before the window opens: the webcast generally begins about five minutes prior to liftoff, and the FAA advisory can indicate alternate opportunities if the schedule shifts.

Reported by Eric Lagatta

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