ST. GEORGE — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from California on Friday evening is likely to be visible from Southern Utah – the third launch that can be seen locally in the last three weeks.
The second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket launched from California as seen from St. George, Utah, March 18, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Chandler Mitchell, St. George News
The rocket carrying a group of 21 Starlink internet satellites is currently scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:31 p.m. MDT. Like Monday’s launch and one on March 18, it will have a 55-degree, southeastern trajectory that will allow people throughout Southern Utah to see it.
There is a hitch: The weather. The National Weather Service says the forecast for that time is mostly cloudy skies.
But if the skies stay clear enough, expect to see the streak of the first, then the second stage of the rocket in the southwest around 90 seconds after launch.
With the increasing frequency of West Coast launches that are visible from Southern Utah, a question being asked by St. George News readers is: Could there be more advance notice for when launches could be seen locally?
The answer is complicated.
For one, because it is launching several rockets a week from both the West Coast as well as launch sites in Florida and Texas, SpaceX doesn’t usually announce exact dates and times of its launches until there are less than 48 hours before launch.
Usually, it comes down to when the Federal Aviation Administration releases a launch warning designed to ensure that planes aren’t flying over the area of launch and ships are not in the area of the ocean where the Falcon 9 rocket lands on an automated barge.
The FAA issued such a warning Monday for a launch window starting at 8:25 p.m. Friday. Late Thursday on its website, SpaceX announced the launch time will be at 8:31 p.m. with an option to launch on Saturday at 8:25 p.m. MDT if there is a need for a delay.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink internet satellites launches from Space Launch Complex- 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Lompoc, California, April 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of SpaceX, St. George News
The FAA and SpaceX currently lists as many as nine launches besides Friday’s scheduled for the rest of the month.
But that doesn’t mean every launch will be visible locally.
Not every flight goes on the same trajectory. If it isn’t in a southeastern direction and around 50-degree inclination or more, it won’t be visible from Southern Utah.
Updated 10 p.m. Thursday, April 4: Time of launch updated.
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