SpaceX leases second launchpad at Vandenberg
SpaceX announced yesterday that it has leased a second launchpad at Vandenberg, taking over the pad that ULA previously leased for use by its Delta family of rockets, now being phased out.
The site will be used to launch “Falcon rockets”, which suggests both the Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy. All told, SpaceX now has six launchsites, three at Cape Canaveral, two at Vandenberg, and one at Boca Chica, with the Starship/Superheavy site at Kennedy presently under construction.
The launchpad at Vandenberg, dubbed SLC-6 (pronounced “slick-6”), was originally built to launch the space shuttle, something that never happened. When I got a tour of Vandenberg in 2015 I took some good pictures of it.
It is very likely SpaceX will make major changes, as it did to the shuttle launchsite it took over at Kennedy.
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SpaceX announced yesterday that it has leased a second launchpad at Vandenberg, taking over the pad that ULA previously leased for use by its Delta family of rockets, now being phased out.
The site will be used to launch “Falcon rockets”, which suggests both the Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy. All told, SpaceX now has six launchsites, three at Cape Canaveral, two at Vandenberg, and one at Boca Chica, with the Starship/Superheavy site at Kennedy presently under construction.
The launchpad at Vandenberg, dubbed SLC-6 (pronounced “slick-6”), was originally built to launch the space shuttle, something that never happened. When I got a tour of Vandenberg in 2015 I took some good pictures of it.
It is very likely SpaceX will make major changes, as it did to the shuttle launchsite it took over at Kennedy.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
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3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
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Cortaro, AZ 85652
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So my source down at Vandy was not surprised by this since ULA abandoned SLC-6. The Space Force personnel down there had to secure and cleanup that location. They were not happy with ULA.
Jay: I had heard somewhere previously that Blue Origin was also vying for the lease for SLC-6. Apparently, the Space Force decided to give it to SpaceX instead because it wants actual launches to occur there, and no one expects that much from Blue Origin at this point.
What is the third launch site in Florida? There’s 39A and 40. 13 doesn’t count, because it’s only been used for landings, and they have to give that one up. I don’t think we can count the Starship pad at 39A, either, since it’s not close to finished.
Hi Diane,
They had to give up 13? Yes, you are correct, it is a landing area. Did they lose the lease? That is new to me.
Jay: Yes, the Space Force has transferred the lease for the landing sites from SpaceX to two of four rocket startups. See:
Space Force assigns launchpads to four smallsat rocket startups
What I failed to make clear in that post (mostly because it wasn’t initially confirmed) was that the new leases took from SpaceX its landing sites.
Diane: As for the third SpaceX launchpad at Kennedy, I am counting the Starship/Superheavy pad. It might not be ready now, but it is being built, and I expect work to accelerate fast considering the regulatory issues that might block flights from Boca Chica for awhile.
Oh god, SLC-6 and the Shuttle. What a boondoggle that was.
Cost billions of dollars to satisfy the USAF and nothing happened other than a booster stacking as I recall.
Just as well as there was a lot of concern about H2 build up the the tunnel if there was an on pad abort.
Completely abandoned.
Delta IV was said to have broken the curse…but just in case…hey Bezos! Hudson and CNBC’s Cramer are bullish on it. Run Elon! RUN! Let New Glenn turn into a pillar of salt…the Heckawi dead demand it be a casino. Ramtha has spoken.
I thought SLC-6 was originally built for Titan-MOL and converted to the Shuttle?
How much is China getting from this whole thing?