Minotaur IV | STP-S29A — what you saw in the sky & launch recap

Name: Minotaur IV | STP-S29A
Start: 2026-04-07T11:33:00Z
Location: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

STP-S29A is a mission under the U.S. Department of Defense's Space Test Program (STP) that will deliver technology demonstrations to orbit and contribute to future space system development, with this launch delivering up to 200 kg of STP cubesats to Low Earth Orbit. The main payload will be STPSat-7, an ESPA class satellite based on the Aegis Aerospace M-1 satellite bus used on the STPSat-4 mission for hosting research and technology demonstration payloads for the Department of Defense (DoD). One of the payload is U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Lightsheet Anomaly Resolution and Debris Observation (LARADO) instrument, used to detect and characterize lethal non-trackable orbital debris with lasers in orbit.

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Rocket: Minotaur IV
Provider: Northrop Grumman Space Systems
Launch site: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Status: Launch Successful

Liftoff time

Apr 7, 2026, 11:33 AM UTC
Apr 7, 2026, 7:33 AM Eastern
Apr 7, 2026, 4:33 AM Pacific

What you saw

If you spotted a moving light in the sky from Lompoc, CA · Vandenberg Village, CA · Orcutt, CA or nearby, this launch is very likely what it was.

Which way it headed: from Lompoc, CA it first appeared low in the west-southwest sky, then climbed toward the south as it flew downrange.
How long it was visible: from Lompoc, CA, it rose into view about 5 seconds after liftoff and reached its highest point — roughly 45° above the horizon — around T+1m 30s; most viewers had it in sight for a few minutes.
Night launch: Against a dark sky the rocket reads as a fast-moving star; the engine plume can flare brightly during stage separation.

Which cities could see this launch?

Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff. The 10 most likely first:

City	Visibility	Look toward	Distance to pad
Lompoc, CA	Excellent	west-southwest	11 mi
Vandenberg Village, CA	Excellent	southwest	13 mi
Orcutt, CA	Excellent	south-southwest	22 mi
Los Alamos, CA	Excellent	west-southwest	23 mi
Buellton, CA	Excellent	west	25 mi
Guadalupe, CA	Excellent	south	27 mi
Solvang, CA	Excellent	west	28 mi
Santa Maria, CA	Excellent	south-southwest	28 mi
Pismo Beach, CA	Excellent	south	39 mi
San Luis Obispo, CA	Excellent	south	49 mi

Show all 94 cities

City	Visibility	Look toward	Distance to pad
Santa Barbara, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	54 mi
Ventura, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	79 mi
Oxnard, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	87 mi
Thousand Oaks, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	106 mi
Bakersfield, CA	Excellent	west-southwest	106 mi
Malibu, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	117 mi
Los Angeles, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	141 mi
Mojave, CA	Excellent	west-southwest	143 mi
Pasadena, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	145 mi
Long Beach, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	150 mi
Fresno, CA	Good	south-southwest	157 mi
San Jose, CA	Good	south-southeast	203 mi
San Diego, CA	Excellent	west-northwest	237 mi
Laredo, TX	Marginal	west	1339 mi
Corpus Christi, TX	Marginal	west	1447 mi
McAllen, TX	Marginal	west	1451 mi
Rockport, TX	Marginal	west-southwest	1460 mi
Port Aransas, TX	Marginal	west	1465 mi
Harlingen, TX	Marginal	west	1480 mi
Los Fresnos, TX	Marginal	west	1496 mi
Bayview, TX	Marginal	west	1498 mi
Brownsville, TX	Marginal	west	1501 mi
Laguna Vista, TX	Marginal	west	1505 mi
Port Isabel, TX	Marginal	west	1511 mi
South Padre Island, TX	Marginal	west	1512 mi
Grand Isle, LA	Not visible	—	1827 mi
Gulf Shores, AL	Not visible	—	1935 mi
Pensacola Beach, FL	Not visible	—	1966 mi
Tallahassee, FL	Not visible	—	2126 mi
Valdosta, GA	Not visible	—	2175 mi
Gainesville, FL	Not visible	—	2254 mi
Brunswick, GA	Not visible	—	2270 mi
Savannah, GA	Not visible	—	2275 mi
Jacksonville, FL	Not visible	—	2277 mi
Tampa, FL	Not visible	—	2287 mi
Hilton Head Island, SC	Not visible	—	2291 mi
St. Augustine, FL	Not visible	—	2306 mi
Lakeland, FL	Not visible	—	2313 mi
Palm Coast, FL	Not visible	—	2319 mi
Charleston, SC	Not visible	—	2328 mi
Orlando, FL	Not visible	—	2333 mi
Sanford, FL	Not visible	—	2334 mi
Kissimmee, FL	Not visible	—	2338 mi
Daytona Beach, FL	Not visible	—	2338 mi
New Smyrna Beach, FL	Not visible	—	2347 mi
Mims, FL	Not visible	—	2361 mi
Titusville, FL	Not visible	—	2364 mi
Myrtle Beach, SC	Not visible	—	2371 mi
Rockledge, FL	Not visible	—	2375 mi
Merritt Island, FL	Not visible	—	2377 mi
Port Canaveral, FL	Not visible	—	2380 mi
Cocoa Beach, FL	Not visible	—	2383 mi
Satellite Beach, FL	Not visible	—	2387 mi
Melbourne, FL	Not visible	—	2389 mi
Palm Bay, FL	Not visible	—	2391 mi
Indialantic, FL	Not visible	—	2391 mi
Richmond, VA	Not visible	—	2400 mi
Sebastian, FL	Not visible	—	2403 mi
Washington, DC	Not visible	—	2409 mi
Vero Beach, FL	Not visible	—	2412 mi
Fort Pierce, FL	Not visible	—	2420 mi
Port St. Lucie, FL	Not visible	—	2423 mi
Baltimore, MD	Not visible	—	2429 mi
Annapolis, MD	Not visible	—	2438 mi
West Palm Beach, FL	Not visible	—	2456 mi
Newport News, VA	Not visible	—	2458 mi
Fort Lauderdale, FL	Not visible	—	2467 mi
Norfolk, VA	Not visible	—	2470 mi
Miami, FL	Not visible	—	2474 mi
Cape Charles, VA	Not visible	—	2480 mi
Virginia Beach, VA	Not visible	—	2487 mi
Exmore, VA	Not visible	—	2488 mi
Dover, DE	Not visible	—	2488 mi
Onancock, VA	Not visible	—	2490 mi
Salisbury, MD	Not visible	—	2491 mi
Pocomoke City, MD	Not visible	—	2496 mi
Philadelphia, PA	Not visible	—	2500 mi
Chincoteague, VA	Not visible	—	2507 mi
Wallops Island, VA	Not visible	—	2508 mi
Berlin, MD	Not visible	—	2512 mi
Rehoboth Beach, DE	Not visible	—	2515 mi
Ocean City, MD	Not visible	—	2519 mi
Cape May, NJ	Not visible	—	2522 mi
Ocean City, NJ	Not visible	—	2537 mi

Where to look

A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.

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What was that in the sky? — FAQ

What was the bright light in the sky over California on April 7, 2026?

Most likely Minotaur IV | STP-S29A — a Minotaur IV launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA at 4:33 AM PDT. From Lompoc, CA it appeared low in the west-southwest sky and climbed toward the south as it headed downrange.

Which cities could see the Minotaur IV | STP-S29A launch?

With clear skies, it was likely visible from Lompoc, CA; Vandenberg Village, CA; Orcutt, CA; Los Alamos, CA; Buellton, CA; Guadalupe, CA — and from other towns within a few hundred miles of Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. The city-by-city table on this page shows the estimated view from each.

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Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated July 13, 2026.