SpaceX Targets 11:18 a.m. Launch from Vandenberg for Transporter-18 Rideshare
The Falcon 9 would carry 130 payloads to orbit on what would be the 66th launch of the year from the Santa Barbara County base. The booster is flying for the 25th time.
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, Oct. 1, for its next launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, with a 58-minute window opening at 11:18 a.m. Pacific time, according to launch alerts reported by the Ventura County Star. If the window holds, the flight would be the 66th launch of 2026 from the Santa Barbara County base.
The mission, known as Transporter-18, is the latest in SpaceX's rideshare program, which bundles small satellites from many customers onto a single Falcon 9 to share the cost of the ride to orbit. This flight carries 130 payloads, including small satellites and orbital vehicles bound for a sun-synchronous orbit, where they match the Earth's rotation around the sun. The previous mission in the series, Transporter-17, launched at the beginning of July carrying 81 payloads, the Star reported.
Astronomy magazine reported that the manifest includes a prototype AI computing satellite from Google, part of the company's Project Suncatcher, and a technology demonstration from the startup Star Catcher, which plans to attempt wireless power transmission between two free-flying spacecraft. The magazine noted that SpaceX has now launched more than 1,800 payloads through its Transporter program.
The Falcon 9 booster flying the mission is making its 25th flight, according to the Star. After stage separation it is expected to return to the base and land at Landing Zone 4, the on-base landing pad a short distance from the launch complex. A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory listed a backup opportunity on Oct. 2 in case Thursday's attempt scrubs.
The rocket will fly a southern trajectory. The Star reported that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties are the most likely to hear sonic booms, which can occur up to 10 minutes after liftoff when a booster returns to Vandenberg rather than landing on a drone ship offshore. The base also warns that areas near the base will hear the low rumble of liftoff itself.
The National Weather Service forecast called for a cloudy morning gradually clearing during the launch window, the Star reported. SpaceX plans to stream the launch on its website beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff.
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