Where to watch a rocket launch: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
Next launch
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-16
Mon, Oct 26 9:45 PM (PDT)
Coming up
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-18Thu, Oct 29 9:02 PM
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-21Wed, Nov 4 9:14 PM
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-195Thu, Nov 5 2:34 PM
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer EWed, Dec 30 4:00 PM
Where the public watches
Access, fees and closures change, especially on launch day: check before you go.
Surf Beach
FreeThe closest public spot to the pads, when it is open: it closes for security and nesting seasons. Small parking area; you cross an active train track.
Open in maps ↗Ocean Park
FreeAbout four miles from the pads at the river mouth. The pad itself is hidden, but the climb is close; the road closes once parking fills.
Open in maps ↗Allan Hancock College, Lompoc
FreeAbout nine miles away, high enough to see the tip of the rocket on the pad before liftoff.
Open in maps ↗Riverbend Park, Lompoc
FreeBig lawns within ten miles of the pads: room for chairs and a family evening.
Open in maps ↗Providence Landing Park, Vandenberg Village
FreeA neighbourhood park north of Lompoc where locals gather.
Open in maps ↗Harris Grade Road
FreeThe farthest spot but high up: above the coastal fog that often hides launches. Parts are sometimes closed; park well off the road.
Open in maps ↗
Before you go
- Launch times slip, often by minutes and sometimes by days: check again on the morning of the launch.
- Arrive early: roads and parking near the best spots fill hours before a big launch.
- The sound arrives after the light: a few seconds per mile away.
- Binoculars help after the first minute, when the rocket is a bright point climbing away.
What will I see from my city?
One notification in the late afternoon, only on nights with something worth going out for over Los Angeles: a very bright ISS pass, a Starlink train, a meteor shower peak, planets together, a supermoon or eclipse, or a bright comet. Only the city is stored, not your location.
Other launch sites
Launch schedule: The Space Devs (Launch Library 2). Viewing spots from local tourism and news guides.