SpaceX prepares Falcon 9 launch for classified Space Force mission

SpaceX prepared to launch an uncrewed classified payload for the United States Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Spaceflight Now reported that liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East was scheduled for 5:01 p.m. PDT. Santa Ynez Valley News, the Lompoc Record, and the Santa Maria Times also reported on the scheduled launch, while Breakingthenews.net subsequently confirmed that SpaceX launched the mission. [1][2][3][4][8]

The uncrewed mission carries the designation USSF-481. Spaceflight Now reported that the rocket will follow a southerly trajectory after liftoff. Hazard warnings suggest that the spacecraft will enter a low Earth orbit inclined approximately 80 degrees from the Equator. [1]

SpaceX selected Falcon 9 first stage booster B1081 to launch the mission, according to Spaceflight Now. The launch marks the 28th flight for this particular booster, which previously flew four missions for NASA. [1]

The United States Space Force was established on December 20, 2019, as the space service branch of the United States Armed Forces within the Department of Defense. Rockets in the Falcon 9 family have logged more than 700 total launches. [11][12]