🇺🇸Vandenberg Space Force Base
Lompoc, California, United States
Country
🇺🇸 United States
Region
North America
Established
1957
Launches / Year
20+
Coordinates
34.7420° N, 120.5724° W
About
Vandenberg Space Force Base on California's central coast is the primary U.S. launch site for polar and sun-synchronous orbit missions. Its southward launch corridor over the Pacific Ocean makes it ideal for reconnaissance satellites and Earth observation missions. SpaceX operates SLC-4E here for Falcon 9 launches.
Key Features
Only U.S. site for polar and sun-synchronous orbital launches
Southward launch trajectory over the Pacific avoids populated areas
SpaceX SLC-4E supports high-cadence Falcon 9 operations
Critical for national security space launches and spy satellites
Home to Space Launch Delta 30
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Discoverer 14 (1960) — First successful spy satellite recovery
Landsat 1 (1972) — First civilian Earth observation satellite
NROL missions — Classified national security payloads
Sentinel-6 (2020) — Sea-level monitoring satellite
DART (2021) — Planetary defense asteroid impact mission