Falcon 9 lifts off with USSF-481 from Vandenberg, Oct. 15, 2026

A Falcon 9 rocket climbs diagonally across a clear blue sky, its bright engine plume trailing a long white exhaust cloud. — U.S. Space Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua LeRoi (DVIDS 10021187) · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)

U.S. Space Force photo distributed by DVIDS and mirrored on Wikimedia Commons. The Space Force says it shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the USSF-481 national security mission ascending after launch from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Oct. 15, 2026. It says Guardians and Airmen of Space Launch Delta 30 supported the launch, the 70th launch supported from Vandenberg in 2026. Liftoff was at 00:01 UTC on Oct. 16 (8:01 PM ET Oct. 15). The Space Force did not describe the payload.

What: Falcon 9 lifts off with USSF-481 from Vandenberg, Oct. 15, 2026
Where: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
When: Oct 15, 2026
Who: U.S. Space Force (Space Launch Delta 30 / DVIDS)
Status: Official release
Warning: Content warning: None. A rocket climbing in a clear blue sky; no people visible. Graphic level: none.

Sources

U.S. Space Force (Space Launch Delta 30 / DVIDS) · Vandenberg Supports 70th Launch of 2026 (DVIDS 10021187)

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Record details

Captured 15 October 2026. Time captured: not stated. Releasing authority: U.S. Space Force (Space Launch Delta 30 / DVIDS). Location: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

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Credit: U.S. Space Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua LeRoi (DVIDS 10021187). License: Public domain (U.S. federal government work).