Vandenberg Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force
Base, located approximately 9.2 miles (14.8 km) northwest of Lompoc, California
. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing
, Air Force Space Command
(AFSC).
Vandenberg AFB is a Department of Defense space and missile testing base, with a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit
from the West Coast, using expendable boosters (Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V
and Delta IV). Wing personnel also support the Service's LGM-30G Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Force Development Evaluation program.
The base is named in honor of former Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
.
. The 30th SW is home to the Western Range, manages Department of Defense space and missile testing, and places satellites into near-polar orbits from the West Coast. Wing personnel also support the Air Force's Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force Development Test and Evaluation program. The Western Range begins at the coastal boundaries of Vandenberg and extends westward from the California coast to the Western Pacific, including sites in Hawaii. Operations involve dozens of federal and commercial interests.
The wing is organized into operations, launch, mission support and medical groups, along with several directly assigned staff agencies.
Tenant organizations assigned to Vandenberg are:
Vandenberg Air Force Base is named in honor of the late General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, second Air Force Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and chief architect of today's modern Air Force.
General Vandenberg was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, on January 24, 1899. In 1923, he graduated from West Point. During World War II
, Colonel Vandenberg was transferred to England
and assisted in planning air operations for the invasion of North Africa
. He received his first star in December 1942, and became chief of staff of the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa under General James H. Doolittle. During this campaign he flew over two dozen combat missions over Tunisia
, Italy
, Sardinia
, Sicily
, and Panteileria to obtain firsthand information.
In March 1945, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and full general in 1947. Meanwhile, in January 1946, General Vandenberg was appointed chief of the intelligence division of the General Staff. In June, he was named director of the Central Intelligence Group, predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency
formed in 1947.
With the establishment of a separate Air Force in September 1947, Vandenberg became its first vice chief of staff under General Carl Spaatz
, and succeeded him on April 30, 1948. He held that post through the critical periods of the Berlin Airlift (1948–1949) and the Korean War
(1950–1953).
General Vandenberg retired from the Air Force in June 1953. He died in Washington, D.C.
on April 2, 1954.
sought more and better training centers for the rapid development of its armored and infantry forces. In March 1941, the Army acquired approximately 86000 acres (348 km²) of open ranch lands along the Central Coast of California between Lompoc and Santa Maria
. Most of the land was purchased. Smaller parcels were obtained either by lease, license, or as easements. With its flat plateau, surrounding hills, numerous canyons, and relative remoteness from populated areas, the Army was convinced it had found the ideal training location.
Construction of the Army camp began in September 1941. Although its completion was still months away, the Army activated the camp on October 5, and named it Camp Cooke in honor of Major General Phillip St. George Cooke
.
General Cooke was a cavalry officer whose military career spanned almost half a century, beginning with his graduation from West Point in 1827 to his retirement in 1873. He participated in the Mexican War
, the Indian Wars
, and the Civil War
. A native of Virginia, General Cooke remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Perhaps his most enduring achievement came when as a colonel during the Mexican War, he led a battalion of Mormons
from Missouri to California. The route led by Colonel Cooke in 1847 opened the first wagon route to California, and today the railroad follows much of the early wagon trails.
Although the construction of Camp Cooke continued well into 1942, troop training did not wait. The 5th Armored Division rolled into camp in February and March, and the steady roar of its tanks and artillery soon became part of the daily scene. From then until the end of the war, other armored and infantry divisions kept up the din before they too left for overseas duty.
Besides the 5th Division, the 6th, 11th, 13th, and 20th Armored Divisions as well as the 86th and 97th Infantry Divisions, and the 2d Filipino Infantry Regiment were all stationed at Cooke at varying times during the war. Also trained at Cooke were an assortment of anti-aircraft artillery, combat engineer, ordnance, and hospital units. Over 400 separate and distinct outfits passed through Camp Cooke.
As the war progressed, German and Italian prisoners of war (the latter organized into Italian Service Units) were quartered at Camp Cooke. Both groups were kept separate from each other in accordance with the Geneva Convention, and worked on the post at various jobs including mechanical and civil engineering services, clerical positions, food service, and the main laundry. To help relieve the severe labor shortage in the commercial market created by wartime exigencies, the Germans also worked in local communities - mostly in agricultural jobs.
A maximum security army disciplinary barracks was constructed on post property in 1946. Confined to the facility were military prisoners from throughout the Army. When Camp Cooke closed in June 1946, personnel at the disciplinary barracks received the additional duty as installation caretakers. Practically the entire camp was then leased for agriculture and grazing.
From August 1950 to February 1953, Camp Cooke served as a training installation for units slated for combat in Korea
, and as a summer training base for many other reserve units. On February 1, 1953, the camp was again inactivated. The disciplinary barracks, meanwhile, was transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to house civilian offenders in August 1959. Today it is known as the United States Penitentiary at Lompoc.
In September 2000, veterans of the 40th Infantry Division gathered an Vandenberg Air Force Base to dedicate its Korean War Memorial. In June 2001, the final remnants of Camp Cooke, including some barracks used by the 40th Infantry Division during its mobilization for the Korean War, were torn down.
Korean War
In September 1956, Secretary of the Air Force, Donald A. Quarles
accepted the committee's recommendation. A few weeks later, on November 16, 1956, Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson
directed the Army to transfer 64000 acres (259 km²) of North Camp Cooke to the United States Air Force
for use as a missile launch and training base. In June 1957, North Camp Cooke was renamed Cooke Air Force Base, and on 21 June 1957 was transferred to the Air Force. In January, however, the Air Force, had received access to the camp, and with the arrival of the first airman in February, established on the 15th the 6591st Support Squadron. The initial mission of Cooke AFB was to serve both as a training site for the PGM-17 Thor
, SM-65 Atlas, and HGM-25A Titan I missiles, and as an emergency operational facility for Atlas ICBM.
The scene that met the first airmen to the base was a cluttered mass of dilapidated World War II buildings amid weeds and brush growing everywhere. Roads-mostly gravel and dirt trails-were in need of extensive repair. In late April 1957, parallel renovation and construction programs started. Over the next two years, missile launch and control facilities began to appear as tons of concrete and steel transformed the landscape. Old buildings were renovated and new ones built, including Capehart military family housing. The work was already in process when the Air Force hosted the official ground breaking ceremonies on 8 May 1957.
To operate Cooke AFB, the 392d Air Base Group was activated, replacing the 6591st Support Squadron on April 15, 1957. With the activation of the 704th Strategic Missile Wing
(Atlas) at Cooke on July 1, the 392d was assigned to the wing. This was the first Air Force ballistic missile wing. On July 16, the 1st Missile Division, activated three months earlier in Inglewood, California
, relocated to Cooke AFB to supervise wing operations. During this formative period, the work of these latter two organizations involved planning for missile operations and training. The Division was assigned to Air Force Ballistic Missile Division (AFBMD) in Inglewood, which in turn reported to Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) at Andrews AFB, Maryland.
The launching of the Russian Sputnik 1
satellite into orbit on October 4, 1957, followed a month later by Sputnik 2
that carried a dog into space, had military implications and caused an immediate acceleration of the United States Air Force's missile program. As part of the acceleration, on 23 November 1957, the Department of Defense authorized the peacetime launching of ballistic, missiles from Cooke AFB. The Air Force transferred management responsibilities for Cooke AFB from ARDC to the Strategic Air Command
(SAC) on January 1, 1958. Along with the transfer, SAC acquired the three ARDC base organizations and responsibility for attaining initial operational capability (IOC) for the nascent U.S. missile force. Their mission also included training missile launch crews.
The reorganization allowed ARDC to retain responsibility for site activation as well as research and development testing of ballistic missiles, also known as Category II testing. These activities were carried out by an AFBMD field office established at Cooke shortly after the transfers of January 1958. Space launches were to be conducted by ARDC and SAC. However, the vast majority of these operations were later handled by ARDC. Sharing the mission at Cooke, the two commands cultivated a close relationship that was to flourish for the next 35 years.
On 12 February 1958, the Department, of Defense transferred executive responsibility for the Jupiter IRBM from the Department of the Army to the Air Force. Headquarters SAC transferred the 864th Strategic Missile Squadron (IRBM-Jupiter) from Huntsville, Alabama, to Cooke AFB. In April, Headquarters SAC activated the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas) at Cooke AFB. It was SAC's first ICBM squadron and first Atlas squadron. Initially, it consisted of two "soft" Series D Atlas complexes (576A and 576B). The first had three gantries while the second had three above ground coffin launchers similar to those planned for the first squadron in the field. Each complex had one launch control center. Thus, the squadron had a 3x2 configuration. In July, Construction began at Cooke AFB on the Operational System Test Facility (OSTF) for the Titan I ICBM. This was the prototype of the hardened Titan I launch control facility and consisted of one silo-lift launcher, blockhouse, and associated equipment. The first Thor IRBM arrived at Cooke AFB in August.
On November 16, 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara ordered a restructuring in the way the Department of Defense managed and operated its missile ranges and flight test facilities across the nation. Part of the force restructuring had the Navy transfer major sections of its Pacific Missile Range, including its Point Arguello installation, to the Air Force in two parts. The first transfer occurred on July 1, 1964. In the second part of the transfer, remote properties and mobile resources, explained in detail in the next section, were handed over to Vandenberg on February 1, 1965.
With the Navy's missile program and range authorities scaled back to the area around Point Mugu, the Air Force now assumed full responsibility for missile range safety at Vandenberg and over much of the Pacific Ocean. The Air Force renamed this geographical area the Air Force Western Test Range. The designation remained until 1979 when it was shortened to the Western Test Range.
The final land acquisition at Vandenberg occurred on March 1, 1966, after the Air Force had announced plans to construct Space Launch Complex 6 for its Manned Orbiting Laboratory
(MOL) program. Flight safety corridors for the Titan III MOL vehicle reportedly extended south of Point Arguello and inland to an area known as Sudden Ranch. The Air Force sought to purchase this property, but when negotiations with the Sudden Estate Company failed to reach a compromise purchase price, the government turned to condemnation proceedings (under the power of eminent domain). By filing a Declaration of Taking with the federal court in Los Angeles, it obtained almost 15000 acres (60.7 km²) of Sudden Ranch. Finalized on December 20, 1968, the federal court established $9,002,500 as the purchase price for the land. The total amount paid to the company with interest was $9,842,700.
The annexation of Sudden Ranch increased the size of the base to its present 99099 acres (401 km²). Today, Vandenberg stands as the third largest Air Force base after Eglin AFB in Florida, and Edwards AFB in California.
On 4 October 1958, Cooke AFB was renamed Vandenberg AFB in honor of the late General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, the Air Force's second Chief of Staff.
The transition from Army camp to missile base solidified on 15 December 1958 when Vandenberg AFB successfully launched its first missile, a PGM-17 Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) The launch from Vandenberg inaugurated the intermediate-range ballistic missile portion of the Pacific Missile Range and was fired by a crew from the 1st Missile Division. The first successful launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force
crew took place at Vandenberg AFB on 16 April 1959. This launch was part of integrated weapon system training. In October, the first combat training launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force crew was successful.
On 22 April 1960, the fourth and final British-based Thor IRBM squadron was turned over to the Royal Air Force by the Strategic Air Command, thus completing the deployment of this weapon system in the United Kingdom. The next month, the first missile to be removed from an operational unit and sent to Vandenberg AFB for confidence firing arrived from a Thor IRBM squadron (98th RAF Strategic Missile Squadron) in the United Kingdom. Confidence firing was the predecessor of SAC's operational test program.
On 16 October 1958, the first Atlas ICBM launcher (576A-1) constructed at Vandenberg AFB, California, was accepted from the contractor by the 1st Missile Division. The first intercontinental ballistic missile, the SM-65D Atlas
ICBM, was delivered and was accepted by SAC's 576th Strategic Missile Squadron on 18 February 1959. The first Atlas-D flew on 9 September 1959, and following the successful launch, General Thomas S. Power, CINCSAC, declared the Atlas ICBM to be operational. The following month, equipped with a nuclear warhead, the Atlas at Vandenberg became the first ICBM to be placed on alert in the United States. It was an SM-69D Atlas ICBM (AFSN 58-2190) on launcher 576A-1. In April 1960, the first attempted launch of a Series D Atlas ICBM from a coffin-type launcher (576B-2) was successful. This launcher was the prototype of the ones to be used at the first operational Atlas squadron, the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Following this successful launch, Major General David Wade, Commander of the 1st Missile Division, declared the coffin-type launcher to be operational.
In July 1959, construction began on the first Series E Atlas ICBM coffin-type launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #1). On 28 February 1962, the first successful launch of the SM-65E Atlas
took place. Construction began on the first SM-65F Atlas
ICBM "silo-lift" launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #2) in November. The first Atlas F arrived in June 1961 and the first operationally configured Series F Atlas was successfully launched on 1 August 1962.
During its testing phase, Vandenberg would operate two Atlas-D launch complexes; two Atlas-E, and three Atlas-F silos. The Atlas-Ds were taken off alert at the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (Complex 576B) in May 1964 as part of the phaseout of the Atlas from active ICBM service. The last Atlas F test launch was on 18 January 1965, and the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron was inactivated on 2 April 1966. The 576th SMS carried out 53 Atlas-D, 7 Atlas-E and 7 Atlas-F test launches between 1959-1965.
The Atlas would remain in use as a launch vehicle for satellites from Vandenberg as a space booster configured with an RM-81 Agena
upper stage rocket and the Atlas-Agena
would launch many different types of satellites into orbit until its phaseout in the late 1980s.
The HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM. when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile. It was the first in a series of Titan rockets, and was an important step in building the Air Force's strategic nuclear forces.
In July 1958 construction began on the Titan I ICBM Operational System Test Facility (OSTF). This was the prototype of the hardened Titan I launch control facility at its operational sites. It consisted of one silo-lift launcher, blockhouse, and associated equipment. Designated "OSTF-8", the facility was destroyed on 3 December 1960 when the launcher elevator failed while lowering a fully fueled missile back into the silo. There were no injuries. This was the first silo accident at Vandenberg.
The first "silo-lift" launch of the Titan I was successful in September 1961, and the first SAC launch of the ICBM was successful in January 1962. As a result, the Titan I ICBM launch complex (395-A1/A2/A3) at Vandenberg was turned over to the Strategic Air Command
395th Strategic Missile Squadron
to perform test launches of the missile.
The oprational lifetime, however of the Titan I was short, as Secretary of Defense McNamara
announced in November 1964 that all remaining first-generation ICBMs (Series E and F Atlas and Titan I) would be phased out (Project Added Effort) by the end of June 1965.
On 5 March 1965, the last test launch of a Titan I ICBM conducted by the Strategic Air Command at Vandenberg was successful. The 395th SMS performed 19 test launches between 1963-1965 before moving on to exclusively Titan II testing. During the 1980s, some Titan I second stages were used as targets for early Strategic Defense Initiative
(SDI) testing.
The LGM-25C Titan II ICBM was a second-generation ICBM with storable propellants, all inertial guidance, and in-silo launch capability. Construction of the first Titan II site began in 1962, and eventually Vandenberg operated four Titan II lanch complexes.
Most of the testing of the missile was done at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida by the 6555th Aerospace Test Group
, and the first successful underground silo launch of a Titan II ICBM took place at Vandenberg by the 395th SMS in April 1963. The first fully operational test took place in March 1965.
On 25 March 1966, the 200th SAC missile launched from Vandenberg AFB, California was a Titan II. The operational testing of the Titan II continued until 1985. Like its predecessor the Atlas ICBM, the Titan II GLV
a derivative of that missile was used to launch Project Gemini
spacecraft and the Titan 23G
was used as a space booster to launch satellites. The final launch of a Titan II was made in 2003 with last Titan IIG was expended
The advent of solid-propellant gave the three-stage LGM-30 Minuteman
ICBM a major advantage over earlier liquid propellant ICBMs. In February 1961 Construction began on Minuteman ICBM test launch facilities at Vandenberg. Silos 394A-1 through A-7 were the first constructed for use by the SAC 394th Strategic Missile Squadron
.
LGM-30A Minuteman IA flight tests began in September 1962. The first Minuteman IB test took place in May 1963. On 24 February 1966, the first attempted salvo (simultaneous) launch of two model "A" Minuteman I ICBMs from Vandenberg silos LF-04 (394A-3) and LF-06 (394-A5) was successful. This launch demonstrated the multiple countdown and launch techniques that would be used at operational bases under actual combat conditions. Minuteman I testing continued until 1968.
LGM-30F Minuteman II testing began in August 1965 with the first launch conducted by Air Force Systems Command, was successful. The missile flew 5000 miles (8,046.7 km) down the Pacific Missile Range and its reentry vehicle impacted in the target area.
On 22 October 1970, the first attempted OT GT70F (Salvo) operational test launch (simultaneous) launch of two Minuteman II ICBMs was successful from LF-25 and LF-26. The last Minuteman II phase I operational test was performed in April 1972.
The first LGM-30G Minuteman III phase II operational test was launched on 5 December 1972 from the LF-02 silo. The ICBM floew 800 miles (1,287.5 km) downrange before impacting in the Pacific Ocean. This was the beginning of Minuteman III lanches which continue to this day from Vandenberg.
In July 1974, the initial training of Minuteman missile combat crews, formerly performed by Air Training Command (ATC) instructors at Vandenberg AFB, California, was incorporated into the 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron's Operational Readiness Training (ORT) program at Vandenberg. As a result of this action, the entire Minuteman missile combat training, from beginning (initial training) to end (upgrade training) became the responsibility of Strategic Air Command.
SAC launched two Minuteman III ICBMs from Vandenberg AFB during exercise Global Shield, a comprehensive exercise of SAC's nuclear forces on 10 July 1979 from LF 08 and LF 09. One of these Global Shield missions, Glory Trip 40 GM, was the last Minuteman III phase I operational test flight. The missiles were launched 12 seconds apart by a SAC task force from the 90th Strategic Missile Wing, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming.
Glory Trip 77GM, a Minuteman III Operational Test in September 1980, became the longest Minuteman flight test when its payload impacted a broad ocean area target over 5600 nautical miles (10,371.2 km) downrange.
The last ICBM tested from Vandenberg was the LGM-118 Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM beginning in June 1983. In additional to having a longer range than earlier ICBMs, the Peacekeeper could deliver up to 10 reentry vehicles to separate targets. It was intended as a replacement for the LGM-30 Minuteman, but it suffered from a long development time, and was retired in 2005 before the Minuteman because of arms reduction treaties.
The first Peacekeeper ICBM was launched by Air Force Systems Command from an aboveground canister-type launch facility from TP-01 on 17 June 1983. This was the first "cold launch" of a missile at Vandenberg AFB, the missile reaching 600 mi (965.6 km) downrange. Two more test launches were conducted in 1983, the missile from TP-01.
The first Peacekeeper with a Mark-21 test reentry vehicle was flight-tested from TP-01 on 15 June 1984. The Mark-21 resembled the reentry vehicle intended for the Peacekeeper weapon system. Two more test launches were conducted in 1984, the missile from TP-01. Air Force Systems Command conducted the final Peacekeeper launch from the aboveground TP-01 launch pad on 30 June 1985.
The first silo launch from LF-05 took place on 24 August 1985 from LF-08. LF-02 began to be used in 1986 for additional launches. On 23 August 1986 the first launch of a completely operational hardware configured missile and launch facility, and also the first Peacekeeper launch by a SAC combat crew under the control of Air Force Systems Command took place from silo LF-02.
A new Peacekeeper Missile Procedures Trainer was dedicated in March 1987. The $17 million facility featured a state-of-the-art computer based simulator which would be used to train and evaluate missile crew members. The first LGM-118 Peacekeepers were deployed to F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming that year.
LGM-118 Peacekeeper test launches continued from Vandenberg with a third silo, LF-05 becoming operational in March 1990. The final launch of a LGM-118 Peacekeeper 33PA took place on 21 July 2004 before the missile was retired from service.
The latest missile deployed at Vandenberg in 2005 is the Ground-based Interceptor
(GBI) missile Suborbital booster for the US Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system's EKV ballistic missile kill vehicle. It is part of a National missile defense
System advocated by President George W. Bush
. The OBV is under development by Orbital Sciences; for every interceptor missile there is a missile silo and a Silo Interface Vault (SIV), which is an underground electronics room adjacent to the silo. The basic OBV consists of the upper three stages and guidance system from the Taurus orbital launch vehicle (essentially a wingless Pegasus-XL). The developmental OBV is launched from an open pad; the operational version is to be silo-launched.
The first test firing of the OVB took place from a former Atlas-F pad, 576-E on 6-February 2003. Launch silo LF-23 is used for ongoing silo testing, with target missiles consisting of surplus inert Minuteman ICBM second and third stages being launched from the Kwajalein Meck launch site in the Pacific Range.
Vandenberg launched the world's first polar orbiting satellite, Discoverer I
on 28 February 1959. The launch vehicle for this mission consisted of a Thor-Agena
combination.
The Discoverer series of satellites provided other significant firsts for Vandenberg. For instance, in August 1960, the data capsule was ejected from Discoverer XIII
in orbit and recovered from the Pacific Ocean
to become the first man-made object ever retrieved from space. A week later, on 19 August, the descending capsule from Discoverer XIV
was snared by an aircraft in flight for the first air recovery in history.
Shrouded in a cover story of scientific research, Discoverer was actually the cover name for Corona, America's first photo reconnaissance satellite program. The publicized Discoverer series came to an end on 13 January 1962. After 37 launches or launch attempts, the cover story for Discoverer had simply worn out.
Over the years, unmanned satellites of every description and purpose, including international satellites, were placed in orbit from Vandenberg by a widening variety of boosters. Among the parade of newer space boosters are the Titan IV
(March 1991), Taurus (March 1994), Pegasus(April 1995), Delta II
(February 1996), Atlas IIAS (December 1999), Minotaur (2000), and beginning in late 2005, the Falcon 1
, the Delta IV, and Atlas V
vehicles.
The most ambitious Air Force endeavors at Vandenberg were the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
(MOL) and the Space Shuttle programs. The MOL vehicle consisted of a Titan III
booster carrying a modified Gemini space capsule (Gemini B) attached to a space laboratory. Construction work for MOL began at Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) on South Vandenberg in March 1966. President Richard Nixon
canceled the estimated $3 billion program in June 1969, as a result of cost overruns, completion delays, emerging new technologies, and the expense of fighting the Vietnam War
. SLC-6 remained closed for the next decade.
In 1972, Vandenberg was selected as the West Coast Space Shuttle
launch and landing site, but it has never been used as such.
Space Launch Complex 6
(SLC-6, pronounced as "Slick Six"), originally built for the abandoned Manned Orbital Laboratory project, was extensively modified for shuttle operations. Over $4 billion was spent on the modifications to the complex and construction of associated infrastructure. The original Mobile Service Tower (MST) was lowered in height and two new flame ducts were added for the shuttle's Solid Rocket Boosters. Additional modifications or improvements included liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen storage tanks, a payload preparation room, payload changeout room, a new launch tower with escape system for the shuttle crewmembers, sound suppression system and water reclamation area and a Shuttle Assembly Building were added to the original complex.
Additionally, the existing 8,500 foot (2,590 m) runway and overruns on the North Base flightline were lengthened to 15,000 feet (4580 m) to accommodate end-of-mission landings, along with construction of the Precision Approach and Path Indicator (PAPI) lights/large triangle arrows at both ends of the runway. Turn-around servicing and refurbishing of the Orbiter would be accomplished in the adjacent Orbiter Maintenance and Checkout Facility (OMCF). The Mate-Demate Facility, to load and unload the Orbiter from the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), was changed from the large structure found at Dryden Flight Research Center and Kennedy Space Center, to a transportable "erector set-like" Orbiter Lifting Frame (OLF). This facility design change was due to the possibility of needing to support a landing at a location where there was no facility to upload onto the SCA. The OLF could be dissassembled, loaded onto two C-5 aircraft, shipped to the overseas Orbiter landing site, and reassembled to upload the Orbiter onto the 747. To transport the Orbiter from the OMCF (on North Vandenberg AFB) to SLC-6, the 22 miles (35.4 km) route was upgraded to accommodate a 76-wheeled vehicle built specifically to carry the Orbiter on its large flat deck utilizing the three external tank interface points (built by Commetto, Italy), versus towing the Orbiter on its landing gear that long distance.
Modification of SLC-6 to support polar missions had been problematic and expensive. SLC-6 was still being prepared for its first Shuttle launch, mission STS-62-A
targeted for October 15, 1986, when the Challenger disaster
grounded the Shuttle fleet and set in motion a chain of events that finally led to the decision to cancel all West Coast Shuttle launches. The orbiter transporter was sent to KSC after the Vandenberg AFB launch site was abandoned and it is used to transport the Orbiter from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Persistent site technical problems, however, and a joint decision by the Air Force and NASA to consolidate Shuttle operations at Cape Canaveral in Florida, following the Challenger tragedy in 1986, resulted in the official termination of the Shuttle program at Vandenberg on December 26, 1989.
Had the space shuttle program been successful at SLC-6, the West Coast operation would have contrasted with that at the Kennedy Space Center
by creating the orbiter stack directly on the launch pad, rather than assembling it and then moving it. Three movable buildings on rails, the Launch Tower, Mobile Service Building and Payload Changeout Room were used to assemble the Shuttle orbiter, external tank and SRBs. These buildings were designed to protect the shuttle "stack" from high winds in the area and were used during a series of "fit tests" utilizing the space shuttle Enterprise
in 1985.
In 1995 the California Spaceport, operated by Spaceport Systems International was created at Vandenberg. The U.S. Air Force awarded a 25 year lease which included a payload processing facility and more than 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land for commercial launch facility construction.
The FAA-certified California Spaceport took advantage of Vandenberg's existing launch pads, runways, payload processing facilities, telemetry and tracking equipment. Work was completed in 2004 to build a rolling access gantry to support Minuteman and future Peacekeeper space booster derivatives. A new SLC 8 gantry was installed in 2005.
The Spaceport Systems International Commercial Launch Facility (CLF) Site was located just south of SLC 6 next to the evaporation ponds. The concern's Integrated Processing Facility (IPF) was originally built for the Space Shuttle Program at a cost in excess of $300 million. The building was designed to process three shuttle-class payloads simultaneously. The vertical sliding doors were modified to allow the transfer of encapsulated payloads from the IPF in support of EELV and other launch programs.
Since the demise of the shuttle program at Vandenberg, SLC 6 was once again been reconfigured, this time to support polar-orbit satellite launches by the new Delta IV family of launch vehicles, utilizing a Common Core Booster for class sizes all the way up to and including the Delta IV (Heavy)
launcher. As it is currently configured, the 132 acre (0.53418552 km²) launch site features structures similar to Boeing's Delta IV SLC-37 launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
in Florida, with a Fixed Umbilical Tower, Mobile Service Tower, Fixed Pad Erector, Launch Control Center and Operations Building, and a Horizontal Integration Facility
. SLC-6 also features a Mobile Assembly Shelter that protects the rocket from adverse weather.
The first of the Delta IV launch vehicles to fly from SLC 6 successfully lifted off at 8:33 p.m. PDT on June 27, 2006 when a Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket lofted NROL-22, a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office
, into orbit. The payload was successfully deployed approximately 54 minutes later.
As of November 2005, 1,858 orbital and ballistic missiles had lifted off from Vandenberg AFB.
The Space and Missile Heritage Center preserves and displays artifacts and memorabilia to interpret the evolution of missile and spacelift activity at Vandenberg from the beginning of the Cold War
through current non-classified developments in military, commercial, and scientific space endeavors.
The initial display area is made up of two exhibits, the "Chronology of the Cold War" and the "Evolution of Technology". The exhibits incorporate a combination of launch complex models, launch consoles, rocket engines, re-entry vehicles, audiovisual and computer displays as well as hands-on interaction where appropriate. The Center will evolve in stages from these initial exhibit areas as restorations of additional facilities are completed.
The Center is located at Space Launch Complex 10, site of the first IRBM tests of the Thor and Discoverer (aka Corona
spy satellite
) series of launches. It is Vandenberg's only National Historic Landmark that is open for regularly scheduled tours through the 30th Space Wing's Public Affairs office.
, the base has a total area of 57.3 sqkm. 57.1 sqkm of it is land and 0.087 sqkm of it (0.39%) is water.
Much of the base is rugged, mountainous, and undeveloped; predominant groundcover includes chaparral
with coastal sage scrub
and oak
woodland. Because of its protected nature—none of the backcountry areas are open to the public or to any kind of development—the base contains some of the highest quality coastal habitat remaining in southern or central California. It is home to numerous threatened or endangered species, including Gambel's watercress
(Nasturtium gambelii). The western terminus of the Santa Ynez Mountains
is on the base, and is dominated by Tranquillion Peak, which rises 2297 feet (700.1 m) above sea level. An optical tracking station is located at the top of the peak, which overlooks the various space launch complexes.
was 150.9 people per square mile (58.3/km²). The racial makeup of Vandenberg AFB was 2,317 (69.4%) White, 307 (9.2%) African American, 26 (0.8%) Native American, 207 (6.2%) Asian, 24 (0.7%) Pacific Islander, 140 (4.2%) from other races
, and 317 (9.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 616 persons (18.5%).
The Census reported that 2,952 people (88.4% of the population) lived in households, 378 (11.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 8 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 858 households, out of which 655 (76.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 730 (85.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 57 (6.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 31 (3.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4 (0.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 3 (0.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 38 households (4.4%) were made up of individuals and 1 (0.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.44. There were 818 families
(95.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.54.
The population was spread out with 1,287 people (38.6%) under the age of 18, 610 people (18.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,338 people (40.1%) aged 25 to 44, 97 people (2.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 6 people (0.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22.5 years. For every 100 females there were 118.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.4 males.
There were 1,035 housing units at an average density of 46.8 per square mile (18.1/km²), of which 12 (1.4%) were owner-occupied, and 846 (98.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.2%. 25 people (0.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,927 people (87.7%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 6,151 people, 1,707 households, and 1,601 families residing in the base. The population density
was 107.7/km2 (278.8/mi2). There were 1,992 housing units at an average density of 34.9/km2 (90.3/mi2). The racial makeup of the base was 72.3% White, 11.7% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 5.0% from other races
, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.1% of the population.
There are 1,707 households, out of which 71.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 87.2% were married couples
living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.2% were non-families. 5.4% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the base, the population was spread out with 38.0% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 44.7% from 25 to 44, 1.9% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 109.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.2 males.
The median income for a household in the base was $39,444, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $27,352 versus $22,283 for females. The per capita income
for the base was $13,570. About 6.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Vandenberg supports a population greater than 18,000 composed of military, family members, government contractors, and civilian employees.
The majority of the workforce that does not live on base resides in the immediate northern Santa Barbara county communities of Lompoc
, Vandenberg Village, Santa Ynez, Orcutt
or Santa Maria
. A small percentage commute from as far south as Santa Barbara
and Isla Vista to as far north as the Five Cities
area near San Luis Obispo, which are all roughly an hour's drive along U.S. Route 101 and State Route 1
to the base's five access gates.
The base's ZIP code
is 93437 and its area code 805
.
In the state legislature
Vandenberg AFB is located in the 19th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Tony Strickland
, and in the 33rd Assembly
District, represented by Republican Sam Blakeslee
. Federally, Vandenberg AFB is located in California's 24th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +5 and is represented by Republican Elton Gallegly
.
Other
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Base, located approximately 9.2 miles (14.8 km) northwest of Lompoc, California
Lompoc, California
Lompoc is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1888. The population was 42,434 at the 2010 census, up from 41,103 at the 2000 census....
. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing
30th Space Wing
The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...
, Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
(AFSC).
Vandenberg AFB is a Department of Defense space and missile testing base, with a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit
Polar orbit
A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body being orbited on each revolution. It therefore has an inclination of 90 degrees to the equator...
from the West Coast, using expendable boosters (Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
and Delta IV). Wing personnel also support the Service's LGM-30G Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
Force Development Evaluation program.
The base is named in honor of former Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
Hoyt Vandenberg
Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg was a U.S. Air Force general, its second Chief of Staff, and second Director of Central Intelligence....
.
Units
The host unit at Vandenberg AFB is the 30th Space Wing30th Space Wing
The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...
. The 30th SW is home to the Western Range, manages Department of Defense space and missile testing, and places satellites into near-polar orbits from the West Coast. Wing personnel also support the Air Force's Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force Development Test and Evaluation program. The Western Range begins at the coastal boundaries of Vandenberg and extends westward from the California coast to the Western Pacific, including sites in Hawaii. Operations involve dozens of federal and commercial interests.
The wing is organized into operations, launch, mission support and medical groups, along with several directly assigned staff agencies.
- 30th Launch Group30th Launch GroupThe 30th Launch Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, California.-Overview:The 30th Launch Group is responsible for booster and satellite technical oversight and launch processing activities to include launch, integration and test operations...
- The 30th Launch Group is responsible for booster and satellite technical oversight and launch processing activities to include launch, integration and test operations. The group consists of an integrated military, civilian and contractor team with more than 250 personnel directly supporting operations from the Western Range.
- 1st Air and Space Test Squadron1st Air and Space Test SquadronThe 1st Air and Space Test Squadron is a division of the 30th Space Wing of the United States Air Force, responsible for spacelift and test operations....
- 4th Space Launch Squadron4th Space Launch SquadronThe United States Air Force's 4th Space Launch Squadron is a space launch unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California.-History:Launched surveillance and meteorological satellites into polar earth orbit, 1994-1998...
- 30th Operations Group30th Operations GroupThe 30th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 30th Space Wing, stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The group provides the core capability for West Coast spacelift and range operations...
- The 30th Operations Group provides the core capability for West Coast spacelift and range operations. Operations professionals are responsible for operating and maintaining the Western Range for spacelift, missile test launch, aeronautical and space surveillance missions.
- 30th Mission Support Group
- The 30th Mission Support Group supports the third largest Air Force Base in the United States. It is also responsible for quality-of-life needs, housing, personnel, services, civil engineering, contracting and security.
- 30th Medical Group
- The 30th Medical Group provides medical, dental, bio-environmental and public health services for people assigned to Vandenberg Air Force Base, their families and retirees.
Tenant organizations assigned to Vandenberg are:
- Fourteenth Air ForceFourteenth Air ForceThe Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
- Joint Functional Component Command for SpaceJoint Functional Component Command for SpaceThe Joint Functional Component Command for Space is a component of US Strategic Command. The Command was established on 19 July 2006, and activated on 12 September 2006, under the command of General William L. Shelton...
(JFCC SPACE) - 9th Space Operations Squadron9th Space Operations SquadronThe United States Air Force's 9th Space Operations Squadron is a space operations unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California. 9 SOPS operates the Joint Space Operations Center, or JSpOC, performing combat operations, plans, strategy and intelligence assessments enabling the commander, Joint...
- 21st Space Operations Squadron21st Space Operations SquadronThe 21st Space Operations Squadron is a satellite control unit of the 50th Network Operations Group of the United States Air Force located at Onizuka Air Force Station, California...
(GSU, 50th Space Wing) - 576th Flight Test Squadron576th Flight Test SquadronThe 576th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force direct reporting unit assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command...
- 381st Training Group381st Training GroupThe United States Air Force 381st Training Group at Vandenberg AFB, California provides training for the nation's space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations and ICBM and Air Launched Missile maintenance forces...
- 148th Space Operations Squadron148th Space Operations SquadronThe United States Air Force's 148th Space Operations Squadron is a satellite control unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California. The 148th SOPS is tasked with back-up command and control of the MILSTAR satellite constellation.-Mission:...
(California ANG) - 216th Operations Support Squadron (California ANG)
- NASA Resident Office
- Air Force Office of Special Investigations
History
General Vandenberg was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, on January 24, 1899. In 1923, he graduated from West Point. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Colonel Vandenberg was transferred to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and assisted in planning air operations for the invasion of North Africa
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. He received his first star in December 1942, and became chief of staff of the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa under General James H. Doolittle. During this campaign he flew over two dozen combat missions over Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and Panteileria to obtain firsthand information.
In March 1945, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and full general in 1947. Meanwhile, in January 1946, General Vandenberg was appointed chief of the intelligence division of the General Staff. In June, he was named director of the Central Intelligence Group, predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
formed in 1947.
With the establishment of a separate Air Force in September 1947, Vandenberg became its first vice chief of staff under General Carl Spaatz
Carl Spaatz
Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz GBE was an American World War II general and the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He was of German descent.-Early life:...
, and succeeded him on April 30, 1948. He held that post through the critical periods of the Berlin Airlift (1948–1949) and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
(1950–1953).
General Vandenberg retired from the Air Force in June 1953. He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on April 2, 1954.
Camp Cooke (1941-1953)
In 1941 the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
sought more and better training centers for the rapid development of its armored and infantry forces. In March 1941, the Army acquired approximately 86000 acres (348 km²) of open ranch lands along the Central Coast of California between Lompoc and Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
. Most of the land was purchased. Smaller parcels were obtained either by lease, license, or as easements. With its flat plateau, surrounding hills, numerous canyons, and relative remoteness from populated areas, the Army was convinced it had found the ideal training location.
Construction of the Army camp began in September 1941. Although its completion was still months away, the Army activated the camp on October 5, and named it Camp Cooke in honor of Major General Phillip St. George Cooke
Philip St. George Cooke
Philip St. George Cooke was a career United States Army cavalry officer who served as a Union General in the American Civil War. He is noted for his authorship of an Army cavalry manual, and is sometimes called the "Father of the U.S...
.
General Cooke was a cavalry officer whose military career spanned almost half a century, beginning with his graduation from West Point in 1827 to his retirement in 1873. He participated in the Mexican War
Mexican War
Mexican War may refer to:*Mexican War of Independence *Mexican–American War *French intervention in Mexico *Mexican Revolution *Mexican Civil War *Cristero War *Mexican Drug War...
, the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
, and the Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. A native of Virginia, General Cooke remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Perhaps his most enduring achievement came when as a colonel during the Mexican War, he led a battalion of Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
from Missouri to California. The route led by Colonel Cooke in 1847 opened the first wagon route to California, and today the railroad follows much of the early wagon trails.
Although the construction of Camp Cooke continued well into 1942, troop training did not wait. The 5th Armored Division rolled into camp in February and March, and the steady roar of its tanks and artillery soon became part of the daily scene. From then until the end of the war, other armored and infantry divisions kept up the din before they too left for overseas duty.
Besides the 5th Division, the 6th, 11th, 13th, and 20th Armored Divisions as well as the 86th and 97th Infantry Divisions, and the 2d Filipino Infantry Regiment were all stationed at Cooke at varying times during the war. Also trained at Cooke were an assortment of anti-aircraft artillery, combat engineer, ordnance, and hospital units. Over 400 separate and distinct outfits passed through Camp Cooke.
As the war progressed, German and Italian prisoners of war (the latter organized into Italian Service Units) were quartered at Camp Cooke. Both groups were kept separate from each other in accordance with the Geneva Convention, and worked on the post at various jobs including mechanical and civil engineering services, clerical positions, food service, and the main laundry. To help relieve the severe labor shortage in the commercial market created by wartime exigencies, the Germans also worked in local communities - mostly in agricultural jobs.
A maximum security army disciplinary barracks was constructed on post property in 1946. Confined to the facility were military prisoners from throughout the Army. When Camp Cooke closed in June 1946, personnel at the disciplinary barracks received the additional duty as installation caretakers. Practically the entire camp was then leased for agriculture and grazing.
From August 1950 to February 1953, Camp Cooke served as a training installation for units slated for combat in Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and as a summer training base for many other reserve units. On February 1, 1953, the camp was again inactivated. The disciplinary barracks, meanwhile, was transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to house civilian offenders in August 1959. Today it is known as the United States Penitentiary at Lompoc.
In September 2000, veterans of the 40th Infantry Division gathered an Vandenberg Air Force Base to dedicate its Korean War Memorial. In June 2001, the final remnants of Camp Cooke, including some barracks used by the 40th Infantry Division during its mobilization for the Korean War, were torn down.
Known United States Army Units at Camp Cooke
World War II- 5th Armored Division
- 81st Armored Regiment81st Armor Regiment (United States)The 81st Armor Regiment currently has two active battalions, the 1st and 3rd, both of which are assigned to the 194th Armor Brigade, US Army Armor Center, Fort Knox, KY...
- 6th Armored Division
- 50th Armored Infantry Regiment50th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 50th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-Lineage:*Constituted 15 May 1917 in the Regular Army as the 50th Infantry.*Organized 1 June 1917 at Syracuse, New York.*Assigned 31 July 1918 to the 20th Division....
- 11th Armored Division
- 13th Armored Division
- 20th Infantry Division
- 86th Infantry Division
- 97th Infantry Division
- 2d Filipino Infantry Regiment
Korean War
- 40th Infantry Division
- 44th Infantry Division
Cooke Air Force Base
Four years later the military returned to Camp Cooke. With the advent of the missile age in the 1950s, an urgent need arose for an adequate training site that could also serve as America's first combat ready missile base. In January 1956, a select committee was formed that examined more than 200 potential sites before Camp Cooke was chosen, essentially for the same characteristics the Army found desirable in 1941. Besides its size, remoteness from heavily populated areas, and having a moderate climate that afforded year-round operations, most importantly, Cooke's coastal location allowed missiles to be launched into the Pacific Ocean without population overflights. This same geographic feature also enabled satellites to be launched into polar orbit directly toward the South Pole without overflying any land mass until reaching Antarctica.In September 1956, Secretary of the Air Force, Donald A. Quarles
Donald A. Quarles
Donald Aubrey Quarles was a communications engineer, senior level executive with Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric, and a top official in the United States Department of Defense during the Eisenhower Administration...
accepted the committee's recommendation. A few weeks later, on November 16, 1956, Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson
Charles E. Wilson
Charles Edward Wilson was a CEO of General Electric. He left school at age 12 to work as a stock boy at Sprague Electrical Works, which was acquired by General Electric, taking night classes and working up to president in 1939.During World War II he served on the War Production Board as executive...
directed the Army to transfer 64000 acres (259 km²) of North Camp Cooke to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
for use as a missile launch and training base. In June 1957, North Camp Cooke was renamed Cooke Air Force Base, and on 21 June 1957 was transferred to the Air Force. In January, however, the Air Force, had received access to the camp, and with the arrival of the first airman in February, established on the 15th the 6591st Support Squadron. The initial mission of Cooke AFB was to serve both as a training site for the PGM-17 Thor
PGM-17 Thor
Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
, SM-65 Atlas, and HGM-25A Titan I missiles, and as an emergency operational facility for Atlas ICBM.
The scene that met the first airmen to the base was a cluttered mass of dilapidated World War II buildings amid weeds and brush growing everywhere. Roads-mostly gravel and dirt trails-were in need of extensive repair. In late April 1957, parallel renovation and construction programs started. Over the next two years, missile launch and control facilities began to appear as tons of concrete and steel transformed the landscape. Old buildings were renovated and new ones built, including Capehart military family housing. The work was already in process when the Air Force hosted the official ground breaking ceremonies on 8 May 1957.
To operate Cooke AFB, the 392d Air Base Group was activated, replacing the 6591st Support Squadron on April 15, 1957. With the activation of the 704th Strategic Missile Wing
704th Strategic Missile Wing
The 404th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is attached to Seventeenth Air Force [Air Forces Africa], stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
(Atlas) at Cooke on July 1, the 392d was assigned to the wing. This was the first Air Force ballistic missile wing. On July 16, the 1st Missile Division, activated three months earlier in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
, relocated to Cooke AFB to supervise wing operations. During this formative period, the work of these latter two organizations involved planning for missile operations and training. The Division was assigned to Air Force Ballistic Missile Division (AFBMD) in Inglewood, which in turn reported to Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) at Andrews AFB, Maryland.
The launching of the Russian Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space...
satellite into orbit on October 4, 1957, followed a month later by Sputnik 2
Sputnik 2
Sputnik 2 , or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2 ), was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, on November 3, 1957, and the first to carry a living animal, a dog named Laika. Sputnik 2 was a 4-meter high cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 2 meters...
that carried a dog into space, had military implications and caused an immediate acceleration of the United States Air Force's missile program. As part of the acceleration, on 23 November 1957, the Department of Defense authorized the peacetime launching of ballistic, missiles from Cooke AFB. The Air Force transferred management responsibilities for Cooke AFB from ARDC to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) on January 1, 1958. Along with the transfer, SAC acquired the three ARDC base organizations and responsibility for attaining initial operational capability (IOC) for the nascent U.S. missile force. Their mission also included training missile launch crews.
The reorganization allowed ARDC to retain responsibility for site activation as well as research and development testing of ballistic missiles, also known as Category II testing. These activities were carried out by an AFBMD field office established at Cooke shortly after the transfers of January 1958. Space launches were to be conducted by ARDC and SAC. However, the vast majority of these operations were later handled by ARDC. Sharing the mission at Cooke, the two commands cultivated a close relationship that was to flourish for the next 35 years.
On 12 February 1958, the Department, of Defense transferred executive responsibility for the Jupiter IRBM from the Department of the Army to the Air Force. Headquarters SAC transferred the 864th Strategic Missile Squadron (IRBM-Jupiter) from Huntsville, Alabama, to Cooke AFB. In April, Headquarters SAC activated the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas) at Cooke AFB. It was SAC's first ICBM squadron and first Atlas squadron. Initially, it consisted of two "soft" Series D Atlas complexes (576A and 576B). The first had three gantries while the second had three above ground coffin launchers similar to those planned for the first squadron in the field. Each complex had one launch control center. Thus, the squadron had a 3x2 configuration. In July, Construction began at Cooke AFB on the Operational System Test Facility (OSTF) for the Titan I ICBM. This was the prototype of the hardened Titan I launch control facility and consisted of one silo-lift launcher, blockhouse, and associated equipment. The first Thor IRBM arrived at Cooke AFB in August.
Base expansion
The southern portion of Cooke AFB (Formerly Camp Cooke), consisting of more than 19800 acres (80.1 km²), was transferred to the U.S. Navy in May 1958. The Navy was in the process of establishing a Pacific Missile Range (PMR) with a headquarters 100 miles (160.9 km) south of Cooke at Point Mugu, and instrumentation sites along the California coast and at various islands down range in the Pacific Ocean. The property it acquired was renamed the Naval Missile Facility at Point Arguello. It became a major launch head and range safety center for all missile and satellite launch operations conducted within the PMR.On November 16, 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara ordered a restructuring in the way the Department of Defense managed and operated its missile ranges and flight test facilities across the nation. Part of the force restructuring had the Navy transfer major sections of its Pacific Missile Range, including its Point Arguello installation, to the Air Force in two parts. The first transfer occurred on July 1, 1964. In the second part of the transfer, remote properties and mobile resources, explained in detail in the next section, were handed over to Vandenberg on February 1, 1965.
With the Navy's missile program and range authorities scaled back to the area around Point Mugu, the Air Force now assumed full responsibility for missile range safety at Vandenberg and over much of the Pacific Ocean. The Air Force renamed this geographical area the Air Force Western Test Range. The designation remained until 1979 when it was shortened to the Western Test Range.
The final land acquisition at Vandenberg occurred on March 1, 1966, after the Air Force had announced plans to construct Space Launch Complex 6 for its Manned Orbiting Laboratory
Manned Orbiting Laboratory
The Manned Orbiting Laboratory , originally referred to as the Manned Orbital Laboratory, was part of the United States Air Force's manned spaceflight program, a successor to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar military reconnaissance space plane project...
(MOL) program. Flight safety corridors for the Titan III MOL vehicle reportedly extended south of Point Arguello and inland to an area known as Sudden Ranch. The Air Force sought to purchase this property, but when negotiations with the Sudden Estate Company failed to reach a compromise purchase price, the government turned to condemnation proceedings (under the power of eminent domain). By filing a Declaration of Taking with the federal court in Los Angeles, it obtained almost 15000 acres (60.7 km²) of Sudden Ranch. Finalized on December 20, 1968, the federal court established $9,002,500 as the purchase price for the land. The total amount paid to the company with interest was $9,842,700.
The annexation of Sudden Ranch increased the size of the base to its present 99099 acres (401 km²). Today, Vandenberg stands as the third largest Air Force base after Eglin AFB in Florida, and Edwards AFB in California.
Vandenberg Air Force Base
PGM-17 Thor
The transition from Army camp to missile base solidified on 15 December 1958 when Vandenberg AFB successfully launched its first missile, a PGM-17 Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) The launch from Vandenberg inaugurated the intermediate-range ballistic missile portion of the Pacific Missile Range and was fired by a crew from the 1st Missile Division. The first successful launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
crew took place at Vandenberg AFB on 16 April 1959. This launch was part of integrated weapon system training. In October, the first combat training launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force crew was successful.
On 22 April 1960, the fourth and final British-based Thor IRBM squadron was turned over to the Royal Air Force by the Strategic Air Command, thus completing the deployment of this weapon system in the United Kingdom. The next month, the first missile to be removed from an operational unit and sent to Vandenberg AFB for confidence firing arrived from a Thor IRBM squadron (98th RAF Strategic Missile Squadron) in the United Kingdom. Confidence firing was the predecessor of SAC's operational test program.
SM-65 Atlas
On 16 October 1958, the first Atlas ICBM launcher (576A-1) constructed at Vandenberg AFB, California, was accepted from the contractor by the 1st Missile Division. The first intercontinental ballistic missile, the SM-65D Atlas
SM-65D Atlas
The SM-65D Atlas, or Atlas D, was the first operational version of the U.S. Atlas missile. It first flew on April 14, 1959. Atlas D missiles were also used for orbital launches, both with upper stages and on their own as a stage-and-a-half vehicle....
ICBM, was delivered and was accepted by SAC's 576th Strategic Missile Squadron on 18 February 1959. The first Atlas-D flew on 9 September 1959, and following the successful launch, General Thomas S. Power, CINCSAC, declared the Atlas ICBM to be operational. The following month, equipped with a nuclear warhead, the Atlas at Vandenberg became the first ICBM to be placed on alert in the United States. It was an SM-69D Atlas ICBM (AFSN 58-2190) on launcher 576A-1. In April 1960, the first attempted launch of a Series D Atlas ICBM from a coffin-type launcher (576B-2) was successful. This launcher was the prototype of the ones to be used at the first operational Atlas squadron, the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Following this successful launch, Major General David Wade, Commander of the 1st Missile Division, declared the coffin-type launcher to be operational.
In July 1959, construction began on the first Series E Atlas ICBM coffin-type launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #1). On 28 February 1962, the first successful launch of the SM-65E Atlas
SM-65E Atlas
The SM-65E Atlas, or Atlas-E, was an operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 11 October 1960, and was deployed as an operational ICBM from September 1961 until April 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-E, along with the Atlas-F, was refurbished for orbital launches...
took place. Construction began on the first SM-65F Atlas
SM-65F Atlas
The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-F, along with the Atlas-E, was refurbished for orbital launches as the...
ICBM "silo-lift" launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #2) in November. The first Atlas F arrived in June 1961 and the first operationally configured Series F Atlas was successfully launched on 1 August 1962.
During its testing phase, Vandenberg would operate two Atlas-D launch complexes; two Atlas-E, and three Atlas-F silos. The Atlas-Ds were taken off alert at the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (Complex 576B) in May 1964 as part of the phaseout of the Atlas from active ICBM service. The last Atlas F test launch was on 18 January 1965, and the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron was inactivated on 2 April 1966. The 576th SMS carried out 53 Atlas-D, 7 Atlas-E and 7 Atlas-F test launches between 1959-1965.
The Atlas would remain in use as a launch vehicle for satellites from Vandenberg as a space booster configured with an RM-81 Agena
RM-81 Agena
The RM-81 Agena was an American rocket upper stage and satellite support bus which was developed by Lockheed initially for the canceled WS-117L reconnaissance satellite program...
upper stage rocket and the Atlas-Agena
Atlas-Agena
The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978....
would launch many different types of satellites into orbit until its phaseout in the late 1980s.
HGM-25A Titan I
The HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM. when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile. It was the first in a series of Titan rockets, and was an important step in building the Air Force's strategic nuclear forces.
In July 1958 construction began on the Titan I ICBM Operational System Test Facility (OSTF). This was the prototype of the hardened Titan I launch control facility at its operational sites. It consisted of one silo-lift launcher, blockhouse, and associated equipment. Designated "OSTF-8", the facility was destroyed on 3 December 1960 when the launcher elevator failed while lowering a fully fueled missile back into the silo. There were no injuries. This was the first silo accident at Vandenberg.
The first "silo-lift" launch of the Titan I was successful in September 1961, and the first SAC launch of the ICBM was successful in January 1962. As a result, the Titan I ICBM launch complex (395-A1/A2/A3) at Vandenberg was turned over to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
395th Strategic Missile Squadron
395th Strategic Missile Squadron
The 395th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, based at Vandenberg AFB, California...
to perform test launches of the missile.
The oprational lifetime, however of the Titan I was short, as Secretary of Defense McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
announced in November 1964 that all remaining first-generation ICBMs (Series E and F Atlas and Titan I) would be phased out (Project Added Effort) by the end of June 1965.
On 5 March 1965, the last test launch of a Titan I ICBM conducted by the Strategic Air Command at Vandenberg was successful. The 395th SMS performed 19 test launches between 1963-1965 before moving on to exclusively Titan II testing. During the 1980s, some Titan I second stages were used as targets for early Strategic Defense Initiative
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
(SDI) testing.
LGM-25C Titan II
The LGM-25C Titan II ICBM was a second-generation ICBM with storable propellants, all inertial guidance, and in-silo launch capability. Construction of the first Titan II site began in 1962, and eventually Vandenberg operated four Titan II lanch complexes.
Most of the testing of the missile was done at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida by the 6555th Aerospace Test Group
6555th Aerospace Test Group
The 6555th Aerospace Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Eastern Space and Missile Center and stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida...
, and the first successful underground silo launch of a Titan II ICBM took place at Vandenberg by the 395th SMS in April 1963. The first fully operational test took place in March 1965.
On 25 March 1966, the 200th SAC missile launched from Vandenberg AFB, California was a Titan II. The operational testing of the Titan II continued until 1985. Like its predecessor the Atlas ICBM, the Titan II GLV
Titan II GLV
The Titan II GLV or Gemini-Titan was an American expendable launch system derived from the Titan II missile, which was used to launch twelve Gemini missions for NASA between 1964 and 1966...
a derivative of that missile was used to launch Project Gemini
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
spacecraft and the Titan 23G
Titan 23G
The Titan 23G, Titan IIG, Titan 2G or Titan II SLV was an American expendable launch system derived from the LGM-25C Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile. Retired Titan II missiles were converted by Martin Marietta, into which the Glenn L. Martin Company, which built the original Titan II,...
was used as a space booster to launch satellites. The final launch of a Titan II was made in 2003 with last Titan IIG was expended
LGM-30 Minuteman
The advent of solid-propellant gave the three-stage LGM-30 Minuteman
LGM-30 Minuteman
The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...
ICBM a major advantage over earlier liquid propellant ICBMs. In February 1961 Construction began on Minuteman ICBM test launch facilities at Vandenberg. Silos 394A-1 through A-7 were the first constructed for use by the SAC 394th Strategic Missile Squadron
394th Strategic Missile Squadron
The United States Air Force's 394th Strategic Missile Squadron was an intercontinental ballistic missile that operated the Titan II missile at Vandenberg AFB, California. The unit was inactivated on...
.
LGM-30A Minuteman IA flight tests began in September 1962. The first Minuteman IB test took place in May 1963. On 24 February 1966, the first attempted salvo (simultaneous) launch of two model "A" Minuteman I ICBMs from Vandenberg silos LF-04 (394A-3) and LF-06 (394-A5) was successful. This launch demonstrated the multiple countdown and launch techniques that would be used at operational bases under actual combat conditions. Minuteman I testing continued until 1968.
LGM-30F Minuteman II testing began in August 1965 with the first launch conducted by Air Force Systems Command, was successful. The missile flew 5000 miles (8,046.7 km) down the Pacific Missile Range and its reentry vehicle impacted in the target area.
On 22 October 1970, the first attempted OT GT70F (Salvo) operational test launch (simultaneous) launch of two Minuteman II ICBMs was successful from LF-25 and LF-26. The last Minuteman II phase I operational test was performed in April 1972.
The first LGM-30G Minuteman III phase II operational test was launched on 5 December 1972 from the LF-02 silo. The ICBM floew 800 miles (1,287.5 km) downrange before impacting in the Pacific Ocean. This was the beginning of Minuteman III lanches which continue to this day from Vandenberg.
In July 1974, the initial training of Minuteman missile combat crews, formerly performed by Air Training Command (ATC) instructors at Vandenberg AFB, California, was incorporated into the 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron's Operational Readiness Training (ORT) program at Vandenberg. As a result of this action, the entire Minuteman missile combat training, from beginning (initial training) to end (upgrade training) became the responsibility of Strategic Air Command.
SAC launched two Minuteman III ICBMs from Vandenberg AFB during exercise Global Shield, a comprehensive exercise of SAC's nuclear forces on 10 July 1979 from LF 08 and LF 09. One of these Global Shield missions, Glory Trip 40 GM, was the last Minuteman III phase I operational test flight. The missiles were launched 12 seconds apart by a SAC task force from the 90th Strategic Missile Wing, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming.
Glory Trip 77GM, a Minuteman III Operational Test in September 1980, became the longest Minuteman flight test when its payload impacted a broad ocean area target over 5600 nautical miles (10,371.2 km) downrange.
LGM-118 Peacekeeper
The last ICBM tested from Vandenberg was the LGM-118 Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM beginning in June 1983. In additional to having a longer range than earlier ICBMs, the Peacekeeper could deliver up to 10 reentry vehicles to separate targets. It was intended as a replacement for the LGM-30 Minuteman, but it suffered from a long development time, and was retired in 2005 before the Minuteman because of arms reduction treaties.
The first Peacekeeper ICBM was launched by Air Force Systems Command from an aboveground canister-type launch facility from TP-01 on 17 June 1983. This was the first "cold launch" of a missile at Vandenberg AFB, the missile reaching 600 mi (965.6 km) downrange. Two more test launches were conducted in 1983, the missile from TP-01.
The first Peacekeeper with a Mark-21 test reentry vehicle was flight-tested from TP-01 on 15 June 1984. The Mark-21 resembled the reentry vehicle intended for the Peacekeeper weapon system. Two more test launches were conducted in 1984, the missile from TP-01. Air Force Systems Command conducted the final Peacekeeper launch from the aboveground TP-01 launch pad on 30 June 1985.
The first silo launch from LF-05 took place on 24 August 1985 from LF-08. LF-02 began to be used in 1986 for additional launches. On 23 August 1986 the first launch of a completely operational hardware configured missile and launch facility, and also the first Peacekeeper launch by a SAC combat crew under the control of Air Force Systems Command took place from silo LF-02.
A new Peacekeeper Missile Procedures Trainer was dedicated in March 1987. The $17 million facility featured a state-of-the-art computer based simulator which would be used to train and evaluate missile crew members. The first LGM-118 Peacekeepers were deployed to F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming that year.
LGM-118 Peacekeeper test launches continued from Vandenberg with a third silo, LF-05 becoming operational in March 1990. The final launch of a LGM-118 Peacekeeper 33PA took place on 21 July 2004 before the missile was retired from service.
Ground Based Midcourse Defense Interceptor
The latest missile deployed at Vandenberg in 2005 is the Ground-based Interceptor
Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is the United States system for intercepting incoming warheads in space. Currently, it is a major component of the U.S. national missile defense strategy aimed against ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles...
(GBI) missile Suborbital booster for the US Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system's EKV ballistic missile kill vehicle. It is part of a National missile defense
National Missile Defense
National missile defense is a generic term for a type of missile defense intended to shield an entire country against incoming missiles, such as intercontinental ballistic missile or other ballistic missiles. Interception might be by anti-ballistic missiles or directed-energy weapons such as lasers...
System advocated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. The OBV is under development by Orbital Sciences; for every interceptor missile there is a missile silo and a Silo Interface Vault (SIV), which is an underground electronics room adjacent to the silo. The basic OBV consists of the upper three stages and guidance system from the Taurus orbital launch vehicle (essentially a wingless Pegasus-XL). The developmental OBV is launched from an open pad; the operational version is to be silo-launched.
The first test firing of the OVB took place from a former Atlas-F pad, 576-E on 6-February 2003. Launch silo LF-23 is used for ongoing silo testing, with target missiles consisting of surplus inert Minuteman ICBM second and third stages being launched from the Kwajalein Meck launch site in the Pacific Range.
Space exploration
Vandenberg launched the world's first polar orbiting satellite, Discoverer I
Corona (satellite)
The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force...
on 28 February 1959. The launch vehicle for this mission consisted of a Thor-Agena
Thor-Agena
Thor-Agena was a series of orbital launch vehicles. The rockets used Thor first stages and Agena second stages. They are thus cousins of the more famous Thor-Deltas, which founded the Delta rocket family. The first attempted launch of a Thor-Agena was in January 1959...
combination.
The Discoverer series of satellites provided other significant firsts for Vandenberg. For instance, in August 1960, the data capsule was ejected from Discoverer XIII
Corona (satellite)
The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force...
in orbit and recovered from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to become the first man-made object ever retrieved from space. A week later, on 19 August, the descending capsule from Discoverer XIV
Corona (satellite)
The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force...
was snared by an aircraft in flight for the first air recovery in history.
Shrouded in a cover story of scientific research, Discoverer was actually the cover name for Corona, America's first photo reconnaissance satellite program. The publicized Discoverer series came to an end on 13 January 1962. After 37 launches or launch attempts, the cover story for Discoverer had simply worn out.
Over the years, unmanned satellites of every description and purpose, including international satellites, were placed in orbit from Vandenberg by a widening variety of boosters. Among the parade of newer space boosters are the Titan IV
Titan IV
The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The...
(March 1991), Taurus (March 1994), Pegasus(April 1995), Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
(February 1996), Atlas IIAS (December 1999), Minotaur (2000), and beginning in late 2005, the Falcon 1
Falcon 1
The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine...
, the Delta IV, and Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
vehicles.
The most ambitious Air Force endeavors at Vandenberg were the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
Manned Orbiting Laboratory
The Manned Orbiting Laboratory , originally referred to as the Manned Orbital Laboratory, was part of the United States Air Force's manned spaceflight program, a successor to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar military reconnaissance space plane project...
(MOL) and the Space Shuttle programs. The MOL vehicle consisted of a Titan III
Titan III
The Titan IIIC was a space booster used by the United States Air Force. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. It was planned to be used as a launch vehicle in the cancelled Dyna-Soar and Manned Orbiting Laboratory programs...
booster carrying a modified Gemini space capsule (Gemini B) attached to a space laboratory. Construction work for MOL began at Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) on South Vandenberg in March 1966. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
canceled the estimated $3 billion program in June 1969, as a result of cost overruns, completion delays, emerging new technologies, and the expense of fighting the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. SLC-6 remained closed for the next decade.
Space Shuttle
In 1972, Vandenberg was selected as the West Coast Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launch and landing site, but it has never been used as such.
Space Launch Complex 6
Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6
Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. It was originally designed for the launching of the Titan III in support of the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory, and was later rebuilt for the Space Shuttle, which also never used it due to...
(SLC-6, pronounced as "Slick Six"), originally built for the abandoned Manned Orbital Laboratory project, was extensively modified for shuttle operations. Over $4 billion was spent on the modifications to the complex and construction of associated infrastructure. The original Mobile Service Tower (MST) was lowered in height and two new flame ducts were added for the shuttle's Solid Rocket Boosters. Additional modifications or improvements included liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen storage tanks, a payload preparation room, payload changeout room, a new launch tower with escape system for the shuttle crewmembers, sound suppression system and water reclamation area and a Shuttle Assembly Building were added to the original complex.
Additionally, the existing 8,500 foot (2,590 m) runway and overruns on the North Base flightline were lengthened to 15,000 feet (4580 m) to accommodate end-of-mission landings, along with construction of the Precision Approach and Path Indicator (PAPI) lights/large triangle arrows at both ends of the runway. Turn-around servicing and refurbishing of the Orbiter would be accomplished in the adjacent Orbiter Maintenance and Checkout Facility (OMCF). The Mate-Demate Facility, to load and unload the Orbiter from the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), was changed from the large structure found at Dryden Flight Research Center and Kennedy Space Center, to a transportable "erector set-like" Orbiter Lifting Frame (OLF). This facility design change was due to the possibility of needing to support a landing at a location where there was no facility to upload onto the SCA. The OLF could be dissassembled, loaded onto two C-5 aircraft, shipped to the overseas Orbiter landing site, and reassembled to upload the Orbiter onto the 747. To transport the Orbiter from the OMCF (on North Vandenberg AFB) to SLC-6, the 22 miles (35.4 km) route was upgraded to accommodate a 76-wheeled vehicle built specifically to carry the Orbiter on its large flat deck utilizing the three external tank interface points (built by Commetto, Italy), versus towing the Orbiter on its landing gear that long distance.
Modification of SLC-6 to support polar missions had been problematic and expensive. SLC-6 was still being prepared for its first Shuttle launch, mission STS-62-A
STS-62-A
STS-62-A was a planned Space Shuttle mission to deliver a reconnaissance payload into polar orbit. It was expected to use Discovery. It would have been the first manned launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California...
targeted for October 15, 1986, when the Challenger disaster
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
grounded the Shuttle fleet and set in motion a chain of events that finally led to the decision to cancel all West Coast Shuttle launches. The orbiter transporter was sent to KSC after the Vandenberg AFB launch site was abandoned and it is used to transport the Orbiter from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Persistent site technical problems, however, and a joint decision by the Air Force and NASA to consolidate Shuttle operations at Cape Canaveral in Florida, following the Challenger tragedy in 1986, resulted in the official termination of the Shuttle program at Vandenberg on December 26, 1989.
Had the space shuttle program been successful at SLC-6, the West Coast operation would have contrasted with that at the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
by creating the orbiter stack directly on the launch pad, rather than assembling it and then moving it. Three movable buildings on rails, the Launch Tower, Mobile Service Building and Payload Changeout Room were used to assemble the Shuttle orbiter, external tank and SRBs. These buildings were designed to protect the shuttle "stack" from high winds in the area and were used during a series of "fit tests" utilizing the space shuttle Enterprise
Space Shuttle Enterprise
The Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first Space Shuttle orbiter. It was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform test flights in the atmosphere. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of spaceflight...
in 1985.
California Spaceport
In 1995 the California Spaceport, operated by Spaceport Systems International was created at Vandenberg. The U.S. Air Force awarded a 25 year lease which included a payload processing facility and more than 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land for commercial launch facility construction.
The FAA-certified California Spaceport took advantage of Vandenberg's existing launch pads, runways, payload processing facilities, telemetry and tracking equipment. Work was completed in 2004 to build a rolling access gantry to support Minuteman and future Peacekeeper space booster derivatives. A new SLC 8 gantry was installed in 2005.
The Spaceport Systems International Commercial Launch Facility (CLF) Site was located just south of SLC 6 next to the evaporation ponds. The concern's Integrated Processing Facility (IPF) was originally built for the Space Shuttle Program at a cost in excess of $300 million. The building was designed to process three shuttle-class payloads simultaneously. The vertical sliding doors were modified to allow the transfer of encapsulated payloads from the IPF in support of EELV and other launch programs.
Delta IV
Since the demise of the shuttle program at Vandenberg, SLC 6 was once again been reconfigured, this time to support polar-orbit satellite launches by the new Delta IV family of launch vehicles, utilizing a Common Core Booster for class sizes all the way up to and including the Delta IV (Heavy)
Delta IV rocket
Delta IV is an active expendable launch system in the Delta rocket family. Delta IV uses rockets designed by Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems division and built in the United Launch Alliance facility in Decatur, Alabama. Final assembly is completed at the launch site by ULA...
launcher. As it is currently configured, the 132 acre (0.53418552 km²) launch site features structures similar to Boeing's Delta IV SLC-37 launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
in Florida, with a Fixed Umbilical Tower, Mobile Service Tower, Fixed Pad Erector, Launch Control Center and Operations Building, and a Horizontal Integration Facility
Horizontal Integration Facility
A horizontal integration facility is a location within which the stages of a multistage rocket are brought together, before the assembled stack is rolled out to the launch pad or complex and raised into vertical position for launch....
. SLC-6 also features a Mobile Assembly Shelter that protects the rocket from adverse weather.
The first of the Delta IV launch vehicles to fly from SLC 6 successfully lifted off at 8:33 p.m. PDT on June 27, 2006 when a Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket lofted NROL-22, a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
, into orbit. The payload was successfully deployed approximately 54 minutes later.
Launch sites
| Active launch sites | ||
| Site | Status | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Space Launch Complex 2E/W Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 2 Space Launch Complex 2 is an active rocket launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, USA. It consists of two launch pads. The East pad , which has been demolished, was used for Delta, Thor-Agena and Thorad launches between 1966 and 1972... (SLC 2W and SLC 2E) |
Active | 34°45′05"N 120°37′09"W (SLC 2E Dec 1958-Mar 1972) 34°45′19"N 120°37′20"W (SLC 2W Sep 1959-Active) SLC 2W is currently used for Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... launches. The launch sites were built in 1958 for the never activated 75th Strategic Missile Squadron PGM-17 Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... IRBM missile launches and were used by SAC for training RAF personnel in operations and launching of the missile. 2E launch pad 75-1-1, 2W launch pad 75-1-2. Upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1966. Used for Thor-DM18A, Thor Able-Star, Thor-Agena USAF satellite launches. SLC 2E inactivated in 1972, last launch a Thor Delta 1A carrying a navigation satellite for European Space Agency. Landsat 1-2-3-4-5-7 American earth land resources satellites launched from SLC 2W, Global Positioning System and many communications satellites. First Thor-Delta launch 1959, Delta I, 1969, Delta II 6925 in 1990. |
| Space Launch Complex 3-East Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3 Space Launch Complex 3 is a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base that has been used by Atlas and Thor rockets. It was built in the early 1960s and consists of two pads, SLC-3E and SLC-3W . The East-West coastline at Vandenberg allows SLC-3 to launch over-ocean polar trajectories that avoid... (SLC 3E) |
Active | 34°38′25"N 120°35′23"W (Jul 1961-Active) SLC 3E is currently used for Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... launches since March 13, 2008. Previously used for Atlas II Atlas II Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. Atlas II was the last Atlas to use a three engine, "stage-and-a-half" design: two of its three engines were jettisoned during ascent, but its fuel tanks and other... (1999–2003); Atlas-H (1983–1987); Atlas-F/G, Atlas-Agena since 1961. Originally an Atlas test facility, designated PALC1-2, then LC1-2, and finally upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1966. |
| Space Launch Complex 3-West Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3 Space Launch Complex 3 is a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base that has been used by Atlas and Thor rockets. It was built in the early 1960s and consists of two pads, SLC-3E and SLC-3W . The East-West coastline at Vandenberg allows SLC-3 to launch over-ocean polar trajectories that avoid... (SLC 3W) |
Planned Reactivation. | 34°38′37"N 120°35′34"W (Oct 1960-Mar 1995) SLC 3W is planned for use by SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... for Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... and Falcon Heavy Falcon Heavy Falcon Heavy, previously known as the Falcon 9 Heavy, is a spaceflight launch system that uses rocket engines currently being designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of the two-stage-to-orbit vehicles use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... launches, date TBA. Activated in 1960. First designated LC1-1 and used to launch Atlas Agena B with Samos payloads. After Samos cancellation, rebuilt in 1963 to support launch of KH-4 Corona reconnaissance satellites atop Thor-Agena. Upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1966. Used for later Thor-Agena and Delta I launches in 1960s and early 1970s. Refurbished in 1973 to accommodate surplus Atlas ICBM's in space launch role. Inactivated in 1995 with last Atlas-E launch of a weather satellite. SLC 3W's tower was demolished January 22, 2000 with no immediate plans for re-use except for speculation regarding the Atlas V under development. |
| Space Launch Complex 6 Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6 Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. It was originally designed for the launching of the Titan III in support of the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory, and was later rebuilt for the Space Shuttle, which also never used it due to... (SLC 6) |
Active | 34°34′52"N 120°37′39"W (Aug 1995-Active) SLC 6 is currently used for Delta IV Delta IV rocket Delta IV is an active expendable launch system in the Delta rocket family. Delta IV uses rockets designed by Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems division and built in the United Launch Alliance facility in Decatur, Alabama. Final assembly is completed at the launch site by ULA... launches. SLC 6 was built as a Space Launch Complex (SLC) between 1966 and 1969 for Titan III Titan III The Titan IIIC was a space booster used by the United States Air Force. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. It was planned to be used as a launch vehicle in the cancelled Dyna-Soar and Manned Orbiting Laboratory programs... Gemini-B Manned Orbiting Laboratory Manned Orbiting Laboratory The Manned Orbiting Laboratory , originally referred to as the Manned Orbital Laboratory, was part of the United States Air Force's manned spaceflight program, a successor to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar military reconnaissance space plane project... (MOL) flights which were canceled and was unused for 10 years. Then it was upgraded between 1979 and 1989 for Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... launches, canceled in part due to the Challenger accident and many unresolved technical issues and again was unused for several years. It was also considered for a second Titan launch facility but this was dropped in 1991. Supported Athena 1 and 2 launch vehicles (1995–1999). Delta IV launches began in June 2006 for commercial and military payloads going into polar orbits. |
| Space Launch Complex 8 Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 8 Space Launch Complex 8 , is a launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, United States. It is used by Minotaur rockets... (SLC 8) |
Active | 34°34′34"N 120°37′56"W (Jan 2000–Present) SLC 8 is currently used for Commercial Minotaur Minotaur (rocket) The Minotaur is a family of American solid fuel rockets derived from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are built by Orbital Sciences Corporation.... launches. It is known as the "California Spaceport". The facilities are operated by Spaceport Systems International. |
| Launch Complex 576-E Vandenberg AFB Launch Complex 576 Launch Complex 576, also known as Area 576, is a group of rocket launch pads at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The pads at the complex were used from 1959 until 1971 to launch SM-65 Atlas missiles. The site was also known as Complex ABRES... |
Active | 34°44′22"N 120°37′08"W(Jan 1962-Dec 1964; Feb 1998-Active) LC 576-E is used by Orbital Sciences Commercial Taurus launches and for USAF OBV Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) launches. Initially a 576th SMS SM-65F Atlas SM-65F Atlas The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-F, along with the Atlas-E, was refurbished for orbital launches as the... Operational Suitability Test facility. Inactivated 1964. Reactivated in 1988 by Orbital Sciences. Also used by USAF OBV American anti-ballistic missile. Suborbital booster for the US Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system's EKV ballistic missile kill vehicle. |
| Inactive sites | ||
| Space Launch Complex 1E/W (SLC 1E and SLC 1W) | Inactive | 34°45′22"N 120°37′35"W (SLC 1E Jun 1959-Sep 1968) 34°45′26"N 120°37′50"W (SLC 1W Jan 1959-Dec 1971) Both sites were built in 1958 for the never activated 75th Strategic Missile Squadron for Thor Agena A launches. SLC-1E launch pad 75-3-5, SLC-1W launch pad 75-3-4. Both were upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1966. Inactivated with phaseout of Thor-Agena. SLC-1E inactivated 1968, 45 Launches; SLC-1W inactivated in 1971, 56 launches. |
| Space Launch Complex 4-East Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4 Space Launch Complex 4 , was a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, used by Atlas and Titan rockets between 1963 and 2005. It consisted of two separate launch pads, SLC-4W and SLC-4E, which were formerly designated PALC2-3 and PALC2-4 respectively. Both pads were originally built for use by... (SLC 4E) |
Inactive | 34°37′55"N 120°36′36"W (Aug 1964-Oct 2005) Built in 1964 as Atlas-Agena Atlas-Agena The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978.... D pad for launch of KH-7 reconnaissance satellites. First designated PALC2-4. Upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1966. Redeveloped 1967-1971 for Titan IIID Titan IIID The Titan IIID or Titan 3D was an American expendable launch system, launched twenty two times with KH-9 and KH-11 satellites between 1971 and 1982... KH-9 and KH-11 reconnaissance satellites; Titan 34D Titan 34D The Titan 34D was an American rocket, used to launch a number of satellites for mostly military applications. After its retirement from military service, a small number were converted to the Commercial Titan III configuration, which included a stretched second stage, and a larger fairing... in 1983. Rebuilt 1988-1991 for Titan IV Titan IV The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The... . Inactivated in 2005 with end of Titan IV program. 68 Launches. |
| Space Launch Complex 4-West Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4 Space Launch Complex 4 , was a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, used by Atlas and Titan rockets between 1963 and 2005. It consisted of two separate launch pads, SLC-4W and SLC-4E, which were formerly designated PALC2-3 and PALC2-4 respectively. Both pads were originally built for use by... (SLC 4W) |
Inactive | 34°37′59"N 120°36′56"W (July 1963-Oct 2003) Built in 1963 as Atlas-Agena Atlas-Agena The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978.... D pad for launch of KH-7 reconnaissance satellites. First designated PALC2-3. Upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1966. Rebuilt 1965-1966 for Titan IIIB with various military payloads. Began launching Titan 23/24B (Titan III core rocket) also Titan 34B MOL core rocket with Agena upper stage in 1971-1987. Modified to accommodate former LGM-25C Titan II ICBMs for space launch vehicles (Titan IIG), 1988. Inactivated in 2003 with last Titan IIG expended. 93 Launches |
| Space Launch Complex 5 Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 5 Space Launch Complex 5 was a launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, United States. It was previously part of the Point Arguello Naval Air Station, during which time it was designated Launch Complex D or LC-D. Constructed in 1961, it was used by 69 Scout rockets between 1962 and 1994... (SLC 5) |
Inactive | 34°36′28"N 120°37′27"W (Apr 1962-May 1994) Dedicated Scout rocket launch pad, used during the life of that vehicle from 1962 to 1994. 69 launches. |
| Space Launch Complex 10E/W Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 10 Space Launch Complex 10, or Missile Launch Complex 10, is located on Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California. It was built in 1958 to test ballistic missiles and developed into a space launching facility in 1963. Prior to 1966 Space Launch Complex 10 West was known as Vandenberg AFB Pad... (SLC 10E and SLC 10W) |
Inactive | 34°45′45"N 120°37′17"W (SLC 10E Jun 1959-Mar 1962) 34°45′49"N 120°37′29"W (SLC 10W Aug 1959-Jul 1980) 34°45′51"N 120°37′22"W Space and Missile Heritage Center SLC 10E (launch pad 75-2-7) and SLC 10W (75-2-6) activated as a Thor-Delta (DM-18A) pads in 1959. Upgraded to a Space Launch Complex (SLC) in 1961. From 1961 to 1962, SLC-10E was known as LE-7 (Launch Emplacement 7) 10E inactivated 1962. 10W continued launch operations with various configurations of the Thor-Delta until the phaseout of the vehicle in 1980. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986, SLC 10 is the best surviving example of a launch complex built in the 1950s at the beginning of the American effort to explore space. It is home to the Space and Missile Heritage Center, which is open by appointment through the Base Public Affairs office for public tours. |
| Active ICBM Testing sites | ||
| 394-A2* (former) LF-03 (current) | Active | 34°50′46"N 120°34′52"W 394-A2 (Apr-Dec 1963), LF-03 (Jan 1964–Present) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... ; Minotaur II Minotaur II The Minotaur II, also known as Chimera, Target Launch Vehicle, Minuteman II TLV or OSP TLV is an American rocket derived from the Minuteman II missile... testing. Originally a Minuteman 394th SMS silo, first launch April 1963. Upgraded for use as a Launch Facility in 1964, Used for Minuteman testing until July 2001. Currently modified to launch the Minotaur. 97 launches. |
| 394-A3 (former) LF-04 (current) | Active | 34°51′32"N 120°36′24"W 394-A3 (Sep 1962-Dec 1963), LF-04 (Jan 1964–Present) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... testing; first launch, September 1962. |
| LF-10 (former) LCC-01 (Current) | Active | 34°51′39"N 120°35′00"W LGM-30G Minuteman III, first launch July 1987. This is now a pair of Launch Control Centers with LCC 01-A on the left, and LCC 01-B on the right. |
| LF-21 | Active | 34°51′39"N 120°35′44"W LGM-30 Minuteman I/II LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... , Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) testing; first launch August 1965. |
| LF-23 | Active | 34°51′20"N 120°35′49"W LGM-30F Minuteman II. Surprisingly, only one Minuteman launch, on August 26, 1966. Since 2003 it has been used for Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) launches. |
| LF-24 | Active | 34°51′24"N 120°36′08"W LGM-30F Minuteman II testing; first launch December 1965. Mothballed 1971. LF-24 is currently being refurbished as a backup for Pad LF-23 missile defense launches. |
| TP-01 | Active | 34°48′15"N 120°35′20"W LGM-118 Peacekeeper, MGM-134 Midgetman MGM-134 Midgetman The MGM-134A Midgetman, also known as the Small Intercontinental Ballistic Missile , was an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the United States of America.-Overview:... SICBM (Small Intercontinental Ballistic Missile); first launch June 1983. Also is a candidate site for Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) launches. |
| Inactive ICBM sites | ||
| 395-A 1/2/3 | Inactive | 34°48′23"N 120°32′39"W 395 Alpha 1 (Sep 1961-Dec 1964) 34°48′19"N 120°32′42"W 395 Alpha 2 (Mar 1963-Mar 1965) 34°48′23"N 120°32′42"W 395 Alpha 3 (Jan 1962-Jan 1965) HGM-25A Titan I, 3 operational alert sites. First Titan I launch 3 May 1961, last 14 January 1965. Primarily used for Research and development launches. |
| 395-B | Inactive | 34°46′57"N 120°36′25"W LGM-25C Titan II, This was a test and training facility, (1964–1969) |
| 395-C | Inactive | 34°44′02"N 120°35′47"W LGM-25C Titan II, This was a test and training facility and was the site of the first Titan II launch at Vandenberg AFB. In December 1969 complexes B and D were deactivated and complex C was mothballed, but was occasionally used for more Titan II launches. (1963–1976) |
| 395-D | Inactive | 34°42′27"N 120°35′22"W LGM-25C Titan II, This was a test and training facility, (1963–1969) |
| Site A - 576 Alpha 1/2/3 | Inactive | 34°46′36"N 120°36′06"W 576 Alpha 1 (Oct 1962-Sep 1974) 34°46′51"N 120°36′00"W 576 Alpha 2 (Sep 1959-Aug 1971) 34°46′39"N 120°35′48"W 576 Alpha 3 (Jan 1960-Oct 1989) SM-65D Atlas SM-65D Atlas The SM-65D Atlas, or Atlas D, was the first operational version of the U.S. Atlas missile. It first flew on April 14, 1959. Atlas D missiles were also used for orbital launches, both with upper stages and on their own as a stage-and-a-half vehicle.... The very first Atlas D operational ICBM sites, these were above ground with open support towers. These missiles were on alert from 31 October 1959 until 1 May 1964. After going off alert in 1964, Alpha 1 and 2 were used by the USAF for Atlas satellite rocket launches until 1974; Alpha 3 was used by the American Rocket Corporation until 1989 developing a new rocket motor utilizing a solid fuel and liquid oxygen that was throttlable and restartable. Noted on image that 576 Alpha 3 still has a launch gantry tower. |
| Site B - 576 Baker 1/2/3 | Inactive | 34°47′36"N 120°35′41"W 576 Baker 1 (Jul 1960-Jun 1966) 34°47′27"N 120°35′30"W 576 Baker 2 (Apr 1960-Nov 1967) 34°47′23"N 120°35′45"W 576 Baker 3 (Sep 1960-Oct 1967) SM-65D Atlas SM-65D Atlas The SM-65D Atlas, or Atlas D, was the first operational version of the U.S. Atlas missile. It first flew on April 14, 1959. Atlas D missiles were also used for orbital launches, both with upper stages and on their own as a stage-and-a-half vehicle.... , Site 1 was active from July 22, 1960 to June 10, 1966. Site 2 was active from June 19, 1959 to November 7, 1967. Site 3 was active from September 12, 1960 to January 21, 1965, then was used for the space program from May 27, 1965 to October 11, 1967. |
| Site C - 576 Charlie | Inactive | 34°48′32"N 120°35′01"W SM-65E Atlas SM-65E Atlas The SM-65E Atlas, or Atlas-E, was an operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 11 October 1960, and was deployed as an operational ICBM from September 1961 until April 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-E, along with the Atlas-F, was refurbished for orbital launches... , built 1963. The Atlas E would normally be semi-buried, but at Vandenberg it was constructed above ground for testing but resembled a normal site in most respects. 3 Atlas Demonstration and shakedown operations launches July–September 1963 then inactivated. |
| Site D - 576 Delta | Inactive | 34°49′14"N 120°33′25"W SM-65F Atlas SM-65F Atlas The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-F, along with the Atlas-E, was refurbished for orbital launches as the... , Built 1963, inactivated 1964. Atlas F Operational Suitability Test facility, the second for the Atlas ICBM perhaps because of significant differences with the earlier Atlas missiles. 2 Atlas Demonstration and shakedown operations launches March–August 1963 then inactivated. |
| Site F - 576 Foxtrot (Also known as OSTF-1) | Inactive | 34°47′46"N 120°35′20"W SM-65E Atlas SM-65E Atlas The SM-65E Atlas, or Atlas-E, was an operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 11 October 1960, and was deployed as an operational ICBM from September 1961 until April 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-E, along with the Atlas-F, was refurbished for orbital launches... , Operational Suitability Test Facility for Atlas E missiles. 10 Atlas Research and development launches June 1961-August 1964 then inactivated. |
| Site G - 576 Golf (Also known as OSTF-2) | Inactive | 34°49′21"N 120°33′37"W SM-65F Atlas SM-65F Atlas The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-F, along with the Atlas-E, was refurbished for orbital launches as the... , Operational Suitability Test Facility for Atlas F missiles. 7 Atlas Research and development launches August 1962-January 1965 then inactivated. |
| BOM1/BOM2 | Inactive | 34°48′02"N 120°35′57"W Used for CIM-10 Bomarc interceptors. 2 Bomarc launchers with a third support building in between the two shelters. United States Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S... personnel at Vandenberg launched the missiles strictly as targets with the first launch of a CIM-10 Bomarc A taking place on 25 August 1966. The last two launches of CIM-10Bs as targets for a Navy test program occurred on 14 July 1982. BOM1 49 launches; BOM2 38 launches. |
| HP-06 | Inactive | 34°48′13"N 120°36′02"W BGM-109 Tomahawk BGM-109 Tomahawk The Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures... Ground Launched Cruise Missile Used for one launch of a BGM-109 GCLM on 22 October 1985. |
| OSTF-8 | Inactive | 34°48′15"N 120°32′46"W HGM-25A Titan I, Operational Suitability Test Facility. This site was destroyed on December 3, 1960 when the elevator failed while lowering a fully fueled missile back into the silo. |
| 68-SLTF | Inactive | 34°48′25"N 120°32′57"W LGM-25C Titan II, Silo Launch Test Facility for Titan II, though in fact the only missile launched was a Titan I on May 3, 1961. The facility was only intended to prove the design of a silo that could fire a missile, and to try out construction methods; later it became the Titan II Operations and Maintenance Missile Trainer (QMT) |
| LC-A | Inactive | 34°40′44"N 120°35′32"W Launch Complex A, Formerly Launch Complex A, Naval Missile Facility, Point Arguello (PALC-A). Used for Blue Scout Jr; Nike Javelin; Honest John; Black Brant; Astrobee 1500, Nike Asp; Seagull, and Dac Roc sounding rockets from 1959 to 1966 |
| LC-B | Inactive | 34°40′07"N 120°35′53"W Formerly Launch Complex B, Naval Missile Facility, Point Arguello (PALC-B). Used for Nike Viper I; Terrier Asp IV, Kiva/Hope; Deacon Arrow II;, Nike Cajun, and Astrobee 1500 sounding rockets from 1960 to 1963 |
| 394-A1 (former) LF-02 (current) | Inactive | 34°50′41"N 120°35′05"W 394-A1 (Apr-Dec 1963), LF-02 (Jan 1964-Jul 2004) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... ; LGM-118 Peacekeeper testing. Originally a Minuteman 394th SMS silo, first launch April 1963. Upgraded for use as a Launch Facility in 1964, Used for Minuteman until July 1975. Modified for Peacekeeper use in 1986, Used for LGM-118 until July 2004. 76 launches. |
| 394-A4 (former) LF-05 (current) | Inactive | 34°51′44"N 120°36′34"W 394-A4 (Sep 1962-Dec 1963), LF-05 (Feb 1964-Mar 2000) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... ; LGM-118 Peacekeeper testing; first launch December 1962. Last Minuteman launch October 1976. Modified for use by Peacekeeper in 1989, first LGM-118 launch March 1990. Last launch March 2000. |
| 394-A5 (former) LF-06 (current) | Inactive | 34°52′58"N 120°38′09"W 394-A5 (Jul-Dec 1963), LF-06 (Feb 1964-Aug 2007) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... . First launch, April 1963, last Aug 2007. LF-06 is also is a candidate site for Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) launches. |
| 394-A6 (former) LF-07 (current) | Inactive | 34°53′09"N 120°38′01"W 394-A6 (May-Nov 1963), LF-07 (Jan 1964-Nov 1987) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... testing; first launch May 1963, Last Launch November 1987. |
| 394-A7 (former) LF-08 (current) | Inactive | 34°51′02"N 120°35′54"W 394-A7 (Sep 1963), LF-08 (Aug 1964-1994) LGM-30 Minuteman I/II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... ; LGM-118 Peacekeeper testing. First launch September 1963. Last Minuteman Launch Jan 1984. Modified for Peacekeeper use in 1986, Used for LGM-118 until Jun 1991. Converted Astrid (a test vehicle to demonstrate laser-pumped propulsion in 1994). LF-08 is actually two launch pads. One is apparently called LF-08, and the other LF-08/Rail. The latter appears to be one of the very small pads inside the LF-08 enclosure. |
| LF-09 | Inactive | 34°52′43"N 120°38′01"W LGM-30 Minuteman I/II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... testing; first launch June 1964, Inactivated 2006 |
| LF-22 (former) LF-10 (Current) | Inactive | 34°51′02"N 120°35′38"W LGM-30 Minuteman I/II LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... testing; first launch October 1965, Inactivated 1975 |
| LF-25 | Inactive | 34°52′56"N 120°37′47"W Minuteman II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... testing; first launch February 1966, Inactivated 1976 |
| LF-26 | Inactive | 34°53′18"N 120°38′12"W Minuteman II/III LGM-30 Minuteman The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States... testing; first launch January 1966, Inactivated 2006. |
| LE-07 | Inactive | 34°46′01"N 120°37′06"W PGM-17 Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... Used by Royal Air Force for 2 test launches, 6 September 1961 and 19 March 1962. Inactivated afterwards. |
| LE-08 | Inactive | 34°45′54"N 120°36′58"W Used by: Delta. First Launch: 1959-04-16. Last Launch: 1962-06-19. Originally a Thor 75 SMS PGM-17 Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... IRBM pad 75-2-8. Used by RAF for launch training, Number Launches: 7. Upgraded for use as a launch emplacement in 1961, inactivated in June 1962 after 2 Royal Air Force test launches. |
| PLC-C | Inactive | 34°36′34"N 120°37′42"W Probe Launch Complex C, used for Aerobee-170 and TE-416 Tomahawk TE-416 Tomahawk The TE-416 Tomahawk is a rocket developed by the American company Thiokol at the beginning of the 1960s for Sandia National Laboratories. Although the TE-416 Tomahawk can be launched alone, it was started predominantly as upper stage in connection with other rockets, for example with a Nike rocket... sounding rockets. |
As of November 2005, 1,858 orbital and ballistic missiles had lifted off from Vandenberg AFB.
Space and Missile Heritage Center
The Space and Missile Heritage Center preserves and displays artifacts and memorabilia to interpret the evolution of missile and spacelift activity at Vandenberg from the beginning of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
through current non-classified developments in military, commercial, and scientific space endeavors.
The initial display area is made up of two exhibits, the "Chronology of the Cold War" and the "Evolution of Technology". The exhibits incorporate a combination of launch complex models, launch consoles, rocket engines, re-entry vehicles, audiovisual and computer displays as well as hands-on interaction where appropriate. The Center will evolve in stages from these initial exhibit areas as restorations of additional facilities are completed.
The Center is located at Space Launch Complex 10, site of the first IRBM tests of the Thor and Discoverer (aka Corona
Corona
A corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
spy satellite
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
) series of launches. It is Vandenberg's only National Historic Landmark that is open for regularly scheduled tours through the 30th Space Wing's Public Affairs office.
Major commands to which assigned
- Air Research and Development Command, 21 June 1957
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 1 January 1958 - Air Force Space CommandAir Force Space CommandAir Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
, 15 January 1991 – Present
Major units assigned
- 1st Strategic Aerospace Division1st Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 1st Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California...
, 16 July 1957 – 1 September 1991
- 392d Strategic Missile Wing, 18 October – 20 December 1961
- Space and Missile Test Center, 1 April 1970-1 July 1980
- Air Force Space Test Center, Provisional, 2 January-15 May 1964
- Air Force Western Test Range, 5 May 1964-1 Apr 1970
- Re-designated: Western Space and Missile Center, 1 Oct 1979
- Re-designated 30th Space Wing30th Space WingThe 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...
, 1 November 1991-Present- 704th Strategic Missile Wing704th Strategic Missile WingThe 404th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is attached to Seventeenth Air Force [Air Forces Africa], stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
(ICBM), 1 July 1957-1 July 1959 - 6565th Test Wing, 20 October 1960
- 704th Strategic Missile Wing
- Re-designated: 6595th Aerospace Test Wing6595th Aerospace Test WingThe 6595th Aerospace Test Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Space and Missile Test Center, Vandenberg AFB, California, and was inactivated on 1 October 1979.-History:...
, 1 April 1961-1 October 1979
- 10th Aerospace Defense Group10th Aerospace Defense GroupThe 10th Aerospace Defense Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with 9th Air Division, being stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California...
, 1 January 1967-31 December 1971 (Aerospace Defense Command) - 30th Launch Group30th Launch GroupThe 30th Launch Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, California.-Overview:The 30th Launch Group is responsible for booster and satellite technical oversight and launch processing activities to include launch, integration and test operations...
, 1 December 2003 – Present - 30th Operations Group30th Operations GroupThe 30th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 30th Space Wing, stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The group provides the core capability for West Coast spacelift and range operations...
, 19 November 1991 – Present - 6595th Missile Test Group, 1 May 1970-1 October 1990
- 6595th Space (later Satellite, later Aerospace) Test Group, 1 May 1970-1 October 1990
- 6595th Space Transportation (later Shuttle) Test Group, 21 May 1979-30 September 1987
- 2d Space Launch Squadron2d Space Launch SquadronThe United States Air Force's 2d Space Launch Squadron was a space lift unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California. It was deactivated after the last Titan IV launch in 2005.-History:...
, 19 Nov 1991-31 Oct 2005 - 4th Space Launch Squadron4th Space Launch SquadronThe United States Air Force's 4th Space Launch Squadron is a space launch unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California.-History:Launched surveillance and meteorological satellites into polar earth orbit, 1994-1998...
, 15 Apr 1994-29 Jun 1998; 1 Dec 2003–Present
- 10th Aerospace Defense Squadron10th Aerospace Defense SquadronThe United States Air Force's 10th Air Defense Squadron was an air defense unit located at Wheeler AFS, Hawaii. However, the 10 ADS is historically known as the sole operator of the United States' second nuclear-tipped anti-satellite weapon, Program 437.-Emblem description and significance:On a...
, 15 November 1963 – 1 January 1967; 31 December 1970-1 November 1979 - 394th Missile Testing Squadron (ICBM-Atlas), 1 April-15 December 1958
- 394th Strategic Missile Squadron394th Strategic Missile SquadronThe United States Air Force's 394th Strategic Missile Squadron was an intercontinental ballistic missile that operated the Titan II missile at Vandenberg AFB, California. The unit was inactivated on...
(ICBM-Titan), 1 July 1960-30 June 1976
- Re-designated: 394th Test Maintenance Squadron, 1 July 1976
- Re-designated: 394th Operational Missile Maintenance Squadron, 1 September 1991
- Re-designated: 394th Field Missile Maintenance Squadron, 1 September 1994-Present
- 395th Strategic Missile Squadron395th Strategic Missile SquadronThe 395th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, based at Vandenberg AFB, California...
(ICBM-Titan), 1 February 1959-31 December 1969 - 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas), 1 April 1958-2 April 1966
- 395th Strategic Missile Squadron
- Re-designated: 576th Flight Test Squadron576th Flight Test SquadronThe 576th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force direct reporting unit assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command...
, 1 September 1991–Present - Assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command, 1 December 2009 – present
- 644th Strategic Missile Squadron, 15 January-1 November 1959
- 670th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 5 May 1950-2 August 1951
- 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron, 1 May 1958-15 January 1991
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the base has a total area of 57.3 sqkm. 57.1 sqkm of it is land and 0.087 sqkm of it (0.39%) is water.
Much of the base is rugged, mountainous, and undeveloped; predominant groundcover includes chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
with coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
woodland. Because of its protected nature—none of the backcountry areas are open to the public or to any kind of development—the base contains some of the highest quality coastal habitat remaining in southern or central California. It is home to numerous threatened or endangered species, including Gambel's watercress
Nasturtium gambelii
Nasturtium gambelii is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names Gambel's yellowcress and Gambel's watercress. It is known from three to four scattered occurrences in California, and it has been reported to exist in central Mexico and Guatemala...
(Nasturtium gambelii). The western terminus of the Santa Ynez Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
is on the base, and is dominated by Tranquillion Peak, which rises 2297 feet (700.1 m) above sea level. An optical tracking station is located at the top of the peak, which overlooks the various space launch complexes.
Demographics
The United States Census Bureau has designated the base as its own census-designated place for statistical purposes.2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Vandenberg AFB had a population of 3,338. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 150.9 people per square mile (58.3/km²). The racial makeup of Vandenberg AFB was 2,317 (69.4%) White, 307 (9.2%) African American, 26 (0.8%) Native American, 207 (6.2%) Asian, 24 (0.7%) Pacific Islander, 140 (4.2%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 317 (9.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 616 persons (18.5%).
The Census reported that 2,952 people (88.4% of the population) lived in households, 378 (11.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 8 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 858 households, out of which 655 (76.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 730 (85.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 57 (6.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 31 (3.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4 (0.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 3 (0.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 38 households (4.4%) were made up of individuals and 1 (0.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.44. There were 818 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(95.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.54.
The population was spread out with 1,287 people (38.6%) under the age of 18, 610 people (18.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,338 people (40.1%) aged 25 to 44, 97 people (2.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 6 people (0.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22.5 years. For every 100 females there were 118.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.4 males.
There were 1,035 housing units at an average density of 46.8 per square mile (18.1/km²), of which 12 (1.4%) were owner-occupied, and 846 (98.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.2%. 25 people (0.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,927 people (87.7%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,151 people, 1,707 households, and 1,601 families residing in the base. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 107.7/km2 (278.8/mi2). There were 1,992 housing units at an average density of 34.9/km2 (90.3/mi2). The racial makeup of the base was 72.3% White, 11.7% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 5.0% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.1% of the population.
There are 1,707 households, out of which 71.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 87.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.2% were non-families. 5.4% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the base, the population was spread out with 38.0% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 44.7% from 25 to 44, 1.9% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 109.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.2 males.
The median income for a household in the base was $39,444, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $27,352 versus $22,283 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the base was $13,570. About 6.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Vandenberg supports a population greater than 18,000 composed of military, family members, government contractors, and civilian employees.
The majority of the workforce that does not live on base resides in the immediate northern Santa Barbara county communities of Lompoc
Lompoc, California
Lompoc is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1888. The population was 42,434 at the 2010 census, up from 41,103 at the 2000 census....
, Vandenberg Village, Santa Ynez, Orcutt
Orcutt, California
Orcutt is an unincorporated township located in the Santa Maria Valley of California, and a census-designated place; it is in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Orcutt is named for William W. Orcutt, the manager of the Geological, Land and Engineering Departments of the Union Oil...
or Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
. A small percentage commute from as far south as Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
and Isla Vista to as far north as the Five Cities
Five Cities
Five Cities is a 2010 Turkish drama film, written, produced and directed by Onur Ünlü, about a young policeman just arrived in Istanbul who falls in love with a woman in a candy shop...
area near San Luis Obispo, which are all roughly an hour's drive along U.S. Route 101 and State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
to the base's five access gates.
The base's ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 93437 and its area code 805
Area code 805
North American area code 805 is a California telephone area code. Area code 805 includes most or all of the California counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, plus southernmost portions of Monterey County....
.
In the state legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Vandenberg AFB is located in the 19th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Tony Strickland
Tony Strickland
Anthony A. "Tony" Strickland is a California State Senator, representing the 19th District. Strickland is a member of the Republican Party and a former Assemblyman, representing the 37th District from 1998 to 2004.-Early life:...
, and in the 33rd Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican Sam Blakeslee
Sam Blakeslee
Samuel Norman Blakeslee is a Republican California State Senator representing California's 15th State Senate district, a former California State Assemblyman from California's 33rd State Assembly district, and a former State Assembly Republican Leader...
. Federally, Vandenberg AFB is located in California's 24th congressional district
California's 24th congressional district
California's 24th congressional district covers most of Ventura and inland Santa Barbara counties.The district is currently represented by Republican Elton Gallegly.-Voting:-List of representatives:-Election results:-1952:...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +5 and is represented by Republican Elton Gallegly
Elton Gallegly
Elton William Gallegly is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 23rd and 21st, serving in Congress since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and pre-congressional career:...
.
See also
- Joint Functional Component Command for SpaceJoint Functional Component Command for SpaceThe Joint Functional Component Command for Space is a component of US Strategic Command. The Command was established on 19 July 2006, and activated on 12 September 2006, under the command of General William L. Shelton...
- Point ArguelloPoint ArguelloPoint Arguello is a headland used as a launch site by the United States Navy. Point Arguello was first used in 1959 for the launch of military and sounding rockets. It was transferred to the United States Air Force in 1964, at which time it became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base.There were 6...
- Point Arguello LightPoint Arguello LightPoint Arguello Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Point Arguello, serving the Santa Barbara Channel, California adjoining Vandenberg Air Force Base near the city of Lompoc, California....
External links
Official sitesOther
- Vandenberg Air Force Base Spacecraft and Rocket Listing
- California Spaceport Website
- Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
- Vandenberg AFB Launch History
- Vandenberg AFB at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...