Comments on: SpaceX leases second launchpad at Vandenberg

By: Star Bird

Star Bird — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:38:12 +0000

How much is China getting from this whole thing?

By: M Puckett

M Puckett — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 17:16:54 +0000

I thought SLC-6 was originally built for Titan-MOL and converted to the Shuttle?

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 07:37:32 +0000

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.

By: pawn

pawn — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 20:53:24 +0000

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.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:03:10 +0000

In reply to Jay. 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.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 17:27:19 +0000

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.

By: Diane E Wilson

Diane E Wilson — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 17:20:55 +0000

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.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:51:09 +0000

In reply to Jay. 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.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:37:02 +0000

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.