SpaceX resets Space Force satellite launch for early Thursday
SpaceX now targets 12:54 a.m. PT Thursday, or 3:54 a.m. ET, to launch 21 Space Development Agency satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Monday's try ended in an automatic abort, and SpaceX skipped Tuesday. A backup chance comes Friday at 12:47 a.m. PT, and people nearby may hear sonic booms.
Third time may be the charm for a batch of military data satellites. SpaceX is targeting 12:54 a.m. Pacific time Thursday, Oct. 8, to launch a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base. That is 3:54 a.m. Eastern. A backup chance is set for Friday at 12:47 a.m., the Lompoc Record reported.
The rocket carries 21 data-transport satellites built by Northrop Grumman for the Space Development Agency, part of the U.S. Space Force. The mission is called Tranche 1 Transport Layer A.
Monday's countdown stopped in the final minute. The rocket triggered an automatic abort as it entered its startup sequence, the Santa Barbara Times reported. SpaceX said on X that the "vehicle and payload are in good health." The company then waved off a Tuesday retry without giving a reason. Base officials described the delays as technical issues, the Lompoc Record said.
How to watch: SpaceX's webcast begins about 10 minutes before liftoff at spacex.com/launches/sda-t1tl-a, on X at @SpaceX and on the X TV app, the Lompoc Record reported.
Neighbors may hear it. People in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties could hear one or more sonic booms, depending on the weather, base officials said.
What the satellites do: They join a mesh network the Pentagon calls the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. It is meant to pass battlefield data to troops, track advanced missiles and help aim weapons at targets beyond the horizon. The 21 new satellites would join 63 Tranche 1 spacecraft already in orbit, the Santa Barbara Times said.
This is the fourth of nine Tranche 1 Falcon 9 missions for the agency. The first launched on Sept. 10, 2025, also from Vandenberg.
Reports differ on the booster. The Santa Barbara Times says it is booster B1103, flying for the sixth time. The Lompoc Record calls it the booster's fourth flight, after a spy satellite mission called NROL-179 and two Starlink launches.
What we know: SpaceX targets 3:54 a.m. ET Thursday, with a Friday backup.
What we don't: What stopped Monday's countdown, and why SpaceX skipped Tuesday.
Where outlets agree The Santa Barbara Times and the Lompoc Record both report SpaceX now targets 12:54 a.m. PT Thursday after the Monday and Tuesday stand-downs.
Where they differ The Santa Barbara Times says the booster is flying for the sixth time, while the Lompoc Record calls it the booster's fourth flight.