Vandenberg Space Force Base

SpaceX launched a classified payload for the US Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, then landed the Falcon 9 booster on a droneship at sea. Multiple US local news outlets carried the report. The mission's cargo and purpose remain undisclosed, consistent with the military's practice of keeping national security payloads secret.

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 including the Santa Maria Times and Santa Ynez Valley News report on the planned liftoff, which adds to the company's growing slate of national security launches from the West Coast pad.

SpaceX is preparing one rocket launch from California this week, according to local reporting that points readers to the scheduled timing. No further details on the payload, launch site or timing were included in the available coverage. California launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base are a regular part of SpaceX's schedule, often carrying Starlink satellites into polar orbit.