Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 6 is on the cusp of being repurposed to better support Falcon 9 launches

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Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) on south Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) was first developed in the early 1960s to support the manned orbiting laboratory program. 

According to the National Museum of the Air Force, the manned orbiting laboratory “never reached fruition, but a great deal of developmental work was accomplished before it too was canceled in June of 1969.”

When the military cancels a project, they “abandon it in place,” meaning that no maintenance is performed on the buildings. That was the condition SLC-6 was in when I was originally assigned to Vandenberg in 1975.

According to Space Flight Histories, it was repurposed during the early space shuttle program. “NASA and the Air Force decided the vehicle would support military missions that operated in polar orbits. In 1972, they chose SLC-6 since it was already partially built to support crewed missions. It was ultimately approved in 1975.” 

The shuttle program was terminated in 1989 after spending an estimated $4 billion to construct and partially activate numerous facilities on both the north and south base. It is encouraging that all the facilities that were constructed have been repurposed for other uses since the program was canceled and are still in use today.

Space Flight History continues, “It was subsequently used briefly by Athena rockets before being remodified to support the Delta IV family of unmanned launchers, which have used the pad since 2006. Launches from SLC-6 fly southward into a polar orbit, not eastward as is typical of launches from Florida.”

Now it’s going to be repurposed again to support SpaceX Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy operations, including launch and landing at Vandenberg.

According to the draft environmental impact statement, they are analyzing “an increase in Falcon 9 launches, landings, and static fire tests at VSFB and the addition of Falcon Heavy launches, landings, and static fire tests at VSFB. Redevelopment of SLC-6 would include constructing commodity storage tanks, a vehicle erector, water tower(s), ground supporting equipment, a transport road with rail system from an existing horizontal integration facility to the launch pad, and two new landing pads adjacent to SLC-6.”

This is a big project, not as large as the space shuttle effort, but larger than other repurpose efforts. Several large structures, such as the 25-story mobile service tower, a 23-story mobile assembly shelter, and the 18-story umbilical tower, would be scrapped in favor of a less labor-intensive launch system. Hundreds of workers will be needed to deconstruct these massive buildings and build new facilities.

Some in the community have spoken out against short periods of time that noise occurs during launch operations. The Space Force recently announced a major study to collect and analyze data during each launch. 

So, instead of using “what if” scenarios or speculation by naysayers, it will use actual data collected using calibrated instrumentation, according to Noozhawk, from a network of 25 high-tech monitoring stations across 500 square miles. “The various stations have been positioned from the beaches between Isla Vista and Malibu to the hills of Ojai to capture information about what experts have dubbed the complex sonic boom patterns created by rockets in flight.”

This effort is truly “rocket science,” since there are so many factors that contribute to how much noise each launch creates. It will be interesting to see what they discover during these tests.

Since it is the Space Force that’s the approval authority for this project, neither the California Coastal Commission nor local “anti-anything useful” environmental groups can stop it. VSFB has had a robust planning process for decades, and I feel confident that they will consider outside comments and take the appropriate mitigation measures if any are needed.

Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.

This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 6, 2025.