U.S. Space Force

SpaceX carried out a launch from California on behalf of the U.S. Space Force, with the mission's payload and purpose kept classified. Details about the spacecraft, its orbit and its objectives have not been disclosed, prompting attention and speculation about what the military is sending to space and why secrecy surrounds the flight.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch a U.S. Space Force mission early Saturday from Vandenberg Space Force Base on California's central coast. Local outlets report the Falcon 9 launch will take place in the pre-dawn hours, with the rocket possibly visible across the region. The mission adds to SpaceX's growing cadence of national security launches from the base, and residents are sharing viewing tips and timing details ahead of the liftoff.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the West Coast carrying a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force. The mission's contents were not disclosed, consistent with standard practice for national security spaceflights. The launch adds to SpaceX's growing cadence of government and military missions and drew attention from spaceflight watchers tracking the company's military work.