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Over 70 licensed launch facilities now operate globally — 20 commissioned since 2020.
| Attribute | Vandenberg Space Force Base 🇺🇸 United States Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Andoya Spaceport 🇳🇴 Norway Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | United States Space Force | Spaceport Cornwall / Cornwall Council | Andoya Space |
| Ownership | Military | Public-Private | State Enterprise |
| Region | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 🇳🇴 Norway |
| Launch pads | 3 active (SLC-4E Falcon 9, SLC-6 standby, SLC-2W Firefly)as of [1] ↑ Most pads | — | 2 sounding rocket rails; 1 orbital pad under developmentas of [1] |
| Annual launches | ~30as of [1]Primarily polar/SSO missions from Vandenberg; predominantly SpaceX | 0-1 | 6–10 suborbitalas of [1]Orbital launches pending; sounding rocket campaigns only through 2026 |
| Max payload (LEO) | 15,600 kg to polar orbit (Falcon 9 Block 5)as of [2] ↑ Highest capacity | — | suborbital only (< 1,000 kg payload to apogee)as of [1]Orbital LV commercial contracts under negotiation as of Q1 2026 |
| First operational launch | 1958-12-16as of [1]Thor-Able 1 — first orbital attempt from Vandenberg (failed); first success 1959-02-28 | 2021 | 1962-08-18as of [1]First sounding rocket from Andøya Island; orbital capability planned late 2020s |
| Regulatory regime | U.S. Space Force Western Range + FAA-AST Part 450 for commercial users | UK CAA under the Space Industry Act 2018; horizontal-launch range license (2022) | Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry & Fisheries + Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA); aligned with EASA airspace coordination |
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