Launch details

Minotaur IV | EWS OD-1

Northrop Grumman Space Systems

Commercial USA

Space Launch Complex 8

Vandenberg Space Force Base

May 30 at 05:00pm

Launchpad time-0800

May 31 at 12:00am

Your local time+0000

Current status

TBD

Minotaur IV

Launch vehicle

EWS OD-1

Mission

34.5764

Latitude

-120.6324

Longitude

Get notification

24 hours before launch

Get notification

1 hour before launch

Note: For all launches the scheduled launch dates and times are subject to change due to weather, equipment, crew and other factors.

Mission description

The Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather System (EWS) Operational Demonstration-1 (OD-1) is a weather satellite for the United States Space Force. It is a prototype satellite made by General Atomics that will be place in LEO for a three-year demonstration mission of new EO/IR sensor technologies to various US military branches, and to act as a stop-gap for Defense Department needs for weather data.

EWS OD-1

Livestream

Attending a launch in person

Viewing from the launch site is restricted to military and base personnel.

Public locations around the base provide excellent views, depending on weather.

Surf Beach: Best option for all launchpads if the marine layer keeps west, otherwise you'll get a poor view. Fills up fast on launch day. Closed from March to September to protect local wildlife and in the other months it'll sometimes be closed depending on launch trajectory.

Corral Road: Good option for SLC-2. The semi-official viewing area. 8 kilometers away.

13th & W Ocean Ave: Good option for the southern pads. The hills and marine layer obstruct your view a bit but this is the closest you'll get, it's just outside the security checkpoint. There are a few other good intersections along W Ocean Ave (notably Renwick & W Ocean Ave).

Harris Grade Road: Alternative angle for all pads. It's up high on a hill and above the marine layer so you'll always have a view but it's much further away at 17 kilometers.

How to get there

Rental car is easiest. Vandenberg Space Force Base is approximately 2.5-hours drive northwest of Los Angeles International Airport or 4 hours drive south of San Francisco International Airport. Note that although Vandenberg Space Force Base hosts commercial space launches it is primarily a military base and public access is limited.

Accomodation

Nearby hotels in Lompoc or Santa Maria.

Nearby parking

Parking available at the visitor center.

Agency details

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is a major aerospace and defense company providing launch services, satellite systems, and space exploration technologies. Known for its Pegasus, Minotaur, and Antares rockets, Northrop Grumman supports a wide range of missions, including ISS resupply and national security launches.