SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 mission Sunday night in which it will launch the SAOCOM 1A satellite from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The private space company expects to recover the first stage at Vandenburg Air Force Base for the first time in the company’s history.
The satellite is expected to observe soil saturation levels, glacier development, wildfire hazards, and assist first responders during disaster situations.
Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will return to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This is SpaceX’s first attempt at a land landing on the West Coast. LZ-4 is built on the former site of Space Launch Complex 4W, from which Titan rockets were previously launched.
