A SpaceX rocket’s launch to deliver an Italian satellite into orbit has been rescheduled for Friday evening at Vandenberg Space Force Base after being delayed several days by technical troubles involving ground support equipment.
Liftoff will aim for an instantaneous window of 6:09 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base. Launch times are chosen by where a satellite needs to be placed in space.
The team hopes to take advantage of a break in the rainy weather to get off the ground, but an unfavorable forecast reportedly calls for cumulous clouds that can trigger lightning as the rocket travels.
About eight minutes after the departure, the first-stage booster will return to Vandenberg’s Landing Zone 4, just west of the launch site.
The return-to-launch-site landing means people in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties will hear sonic booms.
Once in line to become the final launch of 2025 for both SpaceX and the West Coast, the mission has been delayed since last Saturday due to ground system equipment at Vandenberg.
The mission carrying Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM3 satellite, tucked inside the rocket’s nose cone, now will be the first launch of 2026 for both Vandenberg and SpaceX.
During 2025, SpaceX completed 165 Falcon 9 rocket launches from both California and Florida, with 64 of those occurring from Vandenberg.
Overall, Vandenberg conducted 70 rocket launches and missile tests in 2025.
The Earth-observation satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, marks the third for Italy’s next-generation Cosmo-SkyMed program.
Four Cosmo-SkyMed satellites from the program’s first generation also traveled to space from Vandenberg, riding United Launch Alliance’s Delta II rockets between 2007 and 2010.
A live webcast of the Cosmo-SkyMed mission is scheduled to begin about 15 minutes before liftoff at spacex.com/launches and on X @SpaceX.
To watch the liftoff and landing in person, the Lompoc Valley has multiple locations offering views of the launch pad. Those include the peak of Harris Grade Road, west of Lompoc’s city limits and around Vandenberg Village, including near the intersection of Moonglow and Stardust roads.
Vandenberg launches close to sunset or sunrise can be especially picturesque. If skies are clear, the rocket’s departure might be visible from elsewhere around California and, under certain conditions, other Western states.