Watch SpaceX launch classified mission for the US Space Force today
SpaceX will launch a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force from California this evening (Oct. 15), and you can watch the action live.
SpaceX will conduct a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force on October 15, with a live launch available. The Falcon 9 rocket is set to take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on California's central coast, during a four-hour window beginning at 7:44 p.m. EDT. A live webcast of the launch can be viewed on SpaceX's platform, starting about 10 minutes before liftoff.
The mission, USSF-481, will transport undisclosed payloads to an undisclosed location. SpaceX's booster, designated 1081, will perform eight minutes of first-stage landings on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. USSF-481 marks the 28th flight for this booster, with 16 of its previous 27 missions supporting SpaceX's Starlink broadband network in low Earth orbit.
The launch will be the 114th Falcon 9 mission of 2026, with 70% of the year's flights dedicated to Starlink missions. SpaceX has also launched its Falcon Heavy and Starship rockets three times so far in 2026.
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