Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4

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Space Launch Complex 4
Final Titan IV launch.jpg
Launch of the last Titan-4 rocket from SLC-4
Coordinates 34 ° 37 '59 "  N , 120 ° 36' 55"  W Coordinates: 34 ° 37 '59 "  N , 120 ° 36' 55"  W.
operator United States Air Force
Launch pads 2
Missiles Atlas , Titan , Falcon 9
First start July 12, 1963
Last start June 12, 2019
Total starts 174
First landing October 8, 2018
Last landing June 12, 2019
Total landings 2
status active

Space Launch Complex-4 (SLC-4, pronounced "Slick Four") is a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California , USA .

The launch complex consists of the two launch platforms SLC-4E and SLC-4W. In contrast to the launch facilities on the east coast of the USA, such as Cape Canaveral AFS and Kennedy Space Center , the coastline running from east to west allows payloads to be launched into polar orbits .

SLC-4W / LZ-4

The western launch platform was used in the 1960s to launch KH-7 spy satellites with Atlas - Agena rockets into orbit. Towards the end of the 1960s this platform was converted to launch heavier spy satellites with titanium rockets.

After the remaining Titan-2 rockets were retired from military service at the end of the 1980s, the SLC-4W was used to launch these surplus rockets for the launch of military and scientific satellites and probes (including the Clementine lunar probe ). The last launch of a Titan-2 rocket, and thus also the last launch from SLC-4W, took place on October 18, 2003.

From September 2014 to September 2018, SpaceX converted the launch pad into a landing pad for Falcon 9 first stages. Since then it has been called Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4). The first landing took place on October 8, 2018.

SLC-4E

The eastern launch platform, like SLC-4W, was used in the 1960s to launch KH-7 spy satellites with Atlas Agena missiles into orbit. At the beginning of the 1970s, the platform, like the SLC-4W a few years earlier, was rebuilt to carry heavier spy satellites into space with titanium rockets. On October 19, 2005, the last rocket of the Titan series was launched by SLC-4E.

From July 2011, the launch site was rebuilt again in order to be able to launch the new Falcon Heavy launch vehicle from SpaceX . The first launch of a SpaceX rocket, a Falcon 9 v1.1 , from the SLC-4E took place on September 29, 2013.

Start list

As of December 31, 2019

date Time ( UTC ) Pad Missile type Serial or
flight number 		Upper school Mission / payload Remarks
July 12, 1963 8:45 pm 4W Atlas D 201D Agena D S01A 4702 KH 7-01 (Gambit) Spy satellite
September 6, 1963 7:30 p.m. 4W Atlas D 212D Agena D S01A 4701 KH 7-02 Spy satellite
October 25, 1963 4W Atlas D 224D Agena D S01A 4703 KH 7-03 Spy satellite
18th December 1963 21:45 4W Atlas D 227D Agena D S01A 4802 KH 7-04 Spy satellite
February 25, 1964 18:59 4W Atlas D 285D Agena D S01A 4803 KH 7-05 Spy satellite
March 11, 1964 20:14 4W Atlas D 296D Agena D S01A 4804 KH 7-06 Spy satellite
April 23, 1964 16:19 4W Atlas D 351D Agena D S01A 4805 KH 7-07 Spy satellite
May 19, 1964 19:21 4W Atlas D 350D Agena D S01A 4806 KH 7-08 Spy satellite
July 6, 1964 18:51 4W Atlas D 352D Agena D S01A 4807 KH 7-09, OPS 4923 Spy satellite
August 14, 1964 22:00 4E Atlas SLV-3 7101 Agena D S01A 4808 KH 7-10, EHH A3 Spy satellite
September 23, 1964 20:06 4E Atlas SLV-3 7102 Agena D 7102 KH 7-11 Spy satellite
October 8, 1964 4E Atlas SLV-3 7103 Agena D 7103 KH-7 12 Spy satellite
October 23, 1964 18:30 4W Atlas D 353D Agena D KH 7-13, OPS 5063 Spy satellite
4th December 1964 18:57 4E Atlas SLV-3 7105 Agena D 7105 KH 7-14 Spy satellite
January 23, 1965 8:09 pm 4W Atlas SLV-3 7106 Agena D 7106 KH 7-15 Spy satellite
March 12, 1965 19:25 4W Atlas SLV-3 7104 Agena D 7104 KH 7-16 Spy satellite
April 3, 1965 21:24 4E Atlas SLV-3 7401 Agena D 7401 Snapshot The only nuclear reactor that the USA has so far put into orbit
April 28, 1965 20:17 4E Atlas SLV-3 7107 Agena D 7107 KH 7-17, EHH B1 Spy satellite
May 27, 1965 7:30 p.m. 4E Atlas SLV-3 7108 Agena D 7108 KH 7-18 Spy satellite
June 25, 1965 7:30 p.m. 4E Atlas SLV-3 7109 Agena D 7109 KH 7-19, EHH B2 Spy satellite
July 12, 1965 19:00 4E Atlas SLV-3 7112 Agena D KH-7-20 Spy satellite
August 3, 1965 19:12 4E Atlas SLV-3 7111 Agena D 7111 KH 7-21, EHH B3 Spy satellite
September 30, 1965 19:20 4E Atlas SLV-3 7110 Agena D 7110 KH 7-22 Spy satellite
November 8, 1965 19:26 4E Atlas SLV-3 7113 Agena D 7113 KH 7-23 Spy satellite
January 19, 1966 20:10 4E Atlas SLV-3 7114 Agena D 7114 KH 7-24 Spy satellite
February 15, 1966 20:30 4E Atlas SLV-3 7115 Agena D 7115 KH 7-25 Spy satellite
March 18, 1966 20:30 4E Atlas SLV-3 7116 Agena D 7116 KH 7-26 Spy satellite
April 19, 1966 19:12 4E Atlas SLV-3 7117 Agena D 7117 KH 7-27 Spy satellite
May 14, 1966 18:30 4E Atlas SLV-3 7118 Agena D 7118 KH 7-28, EHH B4 Spy satellite
3rd June 1966 19:25 4E Atlas SLV-3 7119 Agena D 7119 KH 7-29, AAS 6 Spy satellite
July 12, 1966 17:57 4E Atlas SLV-3 7120 Agena D 7120 KH 7-30 Spy satellite
July 29, 1966 18:43 4W Titan IIIB 3B-1 Agena D4751 KH 8-01 (Gambit) Spy satellite
August 16, 1966 18:30 4E Atlas SLV-3 7121 Agena D 7121 KH 7-31, SSF-B 5 Spy satellite
September 16, 1966 17:59 4E Atlas SLV-3 7123 Agena D 7123 KH 7-32, EHH B5 Spy satellite
September 28, 1966 19:12 4W Titan IIIB 3B-2 KH 8-02 Spy satellite
October 12, 1966 19:15 4E Atlas SLV-3 7122 Agena D 7122 KH 7-33 Spy satellite
2nd November 1966 20:23 4E Atlas SLV-3 7124 Agena D 7124 KH 7-34 Spy satellite
5th December 1966 21:09 4E Atlas SLV-3 7125 Agena D 7125 KH 7-35 Spy satellite
December 14, 1966 18:14 4W Titan IIIB 3B-3 KH 8-03 Spy satellite
2nd February 1967 4E Atlas SLV-3 7126 Agena D 7126 KH 7-36 Spy satellite
February 24, 1967 19:55 4W Titan IIIB 3B-4 KH 8-04 Spy satellite
April 26, 1967 18:00 4W Titan IIIB 3B-5 KH 8-05 Spy satellite
May 22, 1967 18:30 4E Atlas SLV-3 7127 Agena D 7127 KH 7-37 Spy satellite
4th June 1967 18:10 4E Atlas SLV-3 7128 Agena D SS-01B 4837 KH 7-38 Spy satellite
June 20, 1967 16:19 4W Titan IIIB 3B-8 KH 8-06 Spy satellite
August 16, 1967 17:02 4W Titan IIIB 3B-9 KH 8-07 Spy satellite
September 19, 1967 18:28 4W Titan IIIB 3B-10 KH 8-08 Spy satellite
October 25, 1967 19:15 4W Titan IIIB 3B-11 KH 8-09 Spy satellite
5th December 1967 18:45 4W Titan IIIB 3B-12 KH 8-10 Spy satellite
18th January 1968 19:04 4W Titan IIIB 3B-13 KH 8-11 Spy satellite
March 13, 1968 19:55 4W Titan IIIB 3B-14 KH 8-12 Spy satellite
April 17, 1968 17:00 4W Titan IIIB 3B-15 KH 8-13 Spy satellite
5th June 1968 17:31 4W Titan IIIB 3B-16 KH 8-14 Spy satellite
August 6, 1968 16:33 4W Titan IIIB 3B-17 KH 8-15 Spy satellite
September 10, 1968 18:30 4W Titan IIIB 3B-18 KH 8-16 Spy satellite
November 6, 1968 19:10 4W Titan IIIB 3B-19 KH 8-17 Spy satellite
4th December 1968 19:23 4W Titan IIIB 3B-20 KH 8-18 Spy satellite
22nd January 1969 19:10 4W Titan IIIB 3B-6 KH 8-19 Spy satellite
4th March 1969 7:30 p.m. 4W Titan IIIB 3B-7 KH 8-20 Spy satellite
April 15, 1969 17:30 4W Titan IIIB 3B-21 KH 8-21 Spy satellite
3rd June 1969 16:49 4W Titan IIIB 3B-22 KH 8-22 Spy satellite
23rd August 1969 16:00 4W Titanium 23B 23B-1 KH 8-23 Spy satellite
October 24, 1969 18:10 4W Titanium 23B 23B-2 KH 8-24 Spy satellite
January 14, 1970 18:43 4W Titanium 23B 23B-3 KH 8-25 Spy satellite
April 15, 1970 15:52 4W Titanium 23B 23B-4 KH 8-26 Spy satellite
June 25, 1970 14:50 4W Titanium 23B 23B-5 KH 8-27 Spy satellite
18th August 1970 14:45 4W Titanium 23B 23B-6 KH 8-28 Spy satellite
October 23, 1970 17:40 4W Titanium 23B 23B-7 KH 8-29 Spy satellite
January 21, 1971 18:28 4W Titanium 23B 23B-8 KH 8-30 Spy satellite
March 21, 1971 03:45 4W Titanium 33B 33B-1 Ascent Agena D Jump seat 1
April 22, 1971 3:30 p.m. 4W Titanium 23B 23B-9 KH 8-31 Spy satellite
15th June 1971 18:41 4E Titan IIID 23D-1 KH 9-01 (Big Bird) Spy satellite
August 12, 1971 3:30 p.m. 4W Titanium 24B 24B-1 KH 8-32 Spy satellite
October 23, 1971 17:16 4W Titanium 24B 24B-2 KH 8-33 Spy satellite
20th January 1972 18:36 4E Titan IIID 23D-2 KH 9-02 Spy satellite
February 16, 1972 09:59 4W Titanium 33B 33B-2 Jump seat 2
March 17, 1972 17:00 4W Titanium 24B 24B-3 KH 8-34 Spy satellite
May 20, 1972 3:30 p.m. 4W Titanium 24B 24B-4 KH 8-35 Spy satellite
July 7, 1972 17:46 4E Titan IIID 23D-5 KH 9-03 Spy satellite
1st September 1972 17:44 4W Titanium 24B 24B-5 KH 8-36 Spy satellite
October 10, 1972 18:03 4E Titan IIID 23D-3 KH 9-04 Spy satellite
December 21, 1972 17:45 4W Titanium 24B 24B-6 KH 8-37 Spy satellite
March 9, 1973 21:00 4E Titan IIID 23D-6 KH 9-05 Spy satellite
May 16, 1973 16:40 4W Titanium 24B 24B-7 KH 8-38 Spy satellite
June 26, 1973 4W Titanium 24B 24B-9 KH 8-39 Spy satellite
July 13, 1973 20:24 4E Titan IIID 23D-7 KH 9-06 Spy satellite
August 21, 1973 16:07 4W Titanium 33B 33B-3 Ascent Agena D Jump seat 3
September 27, 1973 17:15 4W Titanium 24B 24B-8 KH 8-40 Spy satellite
November 10, 1973 4E Titan IIID 23D-8 KH 9-07 Spy satellite
February 13, 1974 18:00 4W Titanium 24B 24B-10 KH 8-41 Spy satellite
April 10, 1974 4E Titan IIID 23D-9 KH 9-08 Spy satellite
June 6, 1974 16:30 4W Titanium 24B 24B-11 KH 8-42 Spy satellite
August 14, 1974 15:45 4W Titanium 24B 24B-12 KH 8-43 Spy satellite
October 29, 1974 7:30 p.m. 4E Titan IIID 23D-4 KH 9-09 Spy satellite
March 10, 1975 04:41 4W Titanium 34B 34B-1 Ascent Agena D Jump seat 4
April 18, 1975 16:48 4W Titanium 24B 24B-14 KH 8-44 Spy satellite
June 8th 1975 18:30 4E Titan IIID 23D-10 KH 9-10 Spy satellite
October 9, 1975 19:15 4W Titanium 24B 24B-13 KH 8-45 Spy satellite
4th December 1975 20:38 4E Titan IIID 23D-13 KH 9-11 Spy satellite
March 22, 1976 18:14 4W Titanium 24B 24B-18 KH 8-46 Spy satellite
June 2nd 1976 20:56 4W Titanium 34B 34B-5 Ascent Agena D SDS 1
July 8, 1976 18:30 4E Titan IIID 23D-14 KH 9-12 Spy satellite
August 6, 1976 22:21 4W Titanium 34B 34B-6 Ascent Agena D SDS 2
September 15, 1976 18:50 4W Titanium 24B 24B-17 KH 8-47 Spy satellite
December 19, 1976 18:19 4E Titan IIID 23D-15 KH 11-01 Spy satellite
March 13, 1977 18:41 4W Titanium 24B 24B-19 KH 8-48 Spy satellite
June 27, 1977 18:30 4E Titan IIID 23D-17 KH 9-13 Spy satellite
23rd September 1977 18:34 4W Titanium 24B 24B-23 KH 8-49 Spy satellite
February 25, 1978 05:00 4W Titanium 34B 34B-2 Ascent Agena D Jump seat 5
March 16, 1978 18:43 4E Titan IIID 23D-20 KH 9-14 Spy satellite
June 14, 1978 18:28 4E Titan IIID 23D-18 KH 11-02 Spy satellite
5th August 1978 05:00 4W Titanium 34B 34B-7 Ascent Agena D SDS 3
March 16, 1979 18:30 4E Titan IIID 23D-21 KH 9-15 Spy satellite
May 28, 1979 18:14 4W Titanium 24B 24B-25 KH 8-50 Spy satellite
February 7, 1980 21:10 4E Titan IIID 23D-19 KH 11-03 Spy satellite
June 18, 1980 18:29 4E Titan IIID 23D-16 KH 9-16 Spy satellite
December 13, 1980 16:04 4W Titanium 34B 34B-3 SDS 4
February 28, 1981 19:15 4W Titanium 24B 24B-24 KH 8-51 Spy satellite
April 24, 1981 21:32 4W Titanium 34B 34B-8 Ascent Agena D Jump seat 6
3rd September 1981 18:29 4E Titan IIID 23D-22 KH 11-04 Spy satellite
January 21, 1982 19:36 4W Titanium 24B 24B-26 KH 8-52 Spy satellite
May 11, 1982 18:45 4E Titan IIID 23D-24 KH 9-17 Spy satellite
17th November 1982 21:22 4E Titan IIID 23D-23 KH 11-05 Spy satellite
April 15, 1983 18:45 4W Titanium 24B 24B-27 KH 8-53 Spy satellite
June 20, 1983 18:45 4E Titanium 34D 34D-5 KH 9-18 Spy satellite
July 31, 1983 15:41 4W Titanium 34B 34B-9 Ascent Agena D Jump seat 7
April 17, 1984 18:45 4W Titanium 24B 24B-28 KH 8-54 Spy satellite
June 25, 1984 18:43 4E Titanium 34D 34D-4 KH 9-19, SSF-D 5 Spy satellite
August 28, 1984 18:03 4W Titanium 34B 34B-4 Ascent Agena D SDS 5
4th December 1984 18:00 4E Titanium 34D 34D-6 KH 11-06 Spy satellite
February 8, 1985 06:10 4W Titanium 34B 34B-10 Ascent Agena D SDS 6
August 28, 1985 21:20 4E Titanium 34D 34D-7 KH 11-07 Spy satellite
April 18, 1986 17:45 4E Titanium 34D 34D-9 KH 9-20, SSF-D 6 Spy satellite
February 12, 1987 06:40 4W Titanium 34B 34B-51 Ascent Agena D SDS 7
October 26, 1987 21:32 4E Titanium 34D 34D-15 KH 11-08 Spy satellite
5th September 1988 09:25 4W Titan II SLV 23G-1 SBWASS R1
November 6, 1988 18:03 4E Titanium 34D 34D-14 KH 11-09 Spy satellite
September 6, 1989 01:49 4W Titan II SLV 23G-2 SBWASS R2
March 8, 1991 12:03 4E Titanium 403A Lacrosse 2 First West Coast launch of a Titan 4
November 8, 1991 07:07 4E Titanium 403A NOSS 10
April 25, 1992 08:53 4W Titan II SLV 23G-3 SBWASS R3
November 28, 1992 21:34 4E Titanium 404A USA 86
2nd August 1993 19:59 4E Titanium 403A NOSS 19, SSU
5th October 1993 17:56 4W Titan II SLV 23G-5 Landsat 6
January 25, 1994 16:34 4W Titan II SLV 23G-11 Clementine
5th December 1995 21:18 4E Titanium 404A USA 116
May 12, 1996 21:32 4E Titanium 403A SDS B-2, SSU, NOSS B-4
December 20, 1996 18:04 4E Titanium 404A USA 129
April 4, 1997 16:47 4W Titan II SLV 23G-6 DMSP 5D-2 F-14 Weather satellite
October 24, 1997 02:32 4E Titanium 403A 4A-18 Lacrosse 3
May 13, 1998 15:52 4W Titan II SLV 23G-12 NOAA 15
May 22, 1999 09:36 4E Titanium 404B 4B-12 USA 144
June 20, 1999 02:15 4W Titan II SLV 23G-7 QuikScat
December 12, 1999 17:38 4W Titan II SLV 23G-8 DMSP 5D-3 F-15 Weather satellite
August 17, 2000 23:45 4E Titanium 403B 4B-28 Onyx F1
September 21, 2000 10:22 4W Titan II SLV 23G-13 NOAA 16
October 5, 2001 21:21 4E Titanium 404B 4B-34 EIS-2
June 24, 2002 18:23 4W Titan II SLV 23G-14 NOAA 17th
January 6, 2003 14:19 4W Titan II SLV 23G-4 Coriolis
October 18, 2003 16:17 4W Titan II SLV 23G-9 DMSP-16 Last launch of a Titan 2 rocket
October 19, 2005 18:05 4E Titanium 404B 4B-26 NGO L-20 Last launch of a Titan missile
29th September 2013 16:00 4E Falcon 9 v1.1 9-006 CASSIOPE , CUsat-1 , CUsat-2 , DANTE , three POPACS First launch of this type of missile
17th January 2016 18:42 4E Falcon 9 v1.1 9-021 Jason 3 Last start of version Falcon 9 v1.1. Soft landing of the first stage on the floating platform in the ocean, then fell over due to failure of a landing leg.
January 14, 2017 17:54 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-029 Iridium NEXT 1-10
June 25, 2017 20:25 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-036 Iridium NEXT 11-20
August 24, 2017 18:50 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-040 FORMOSAT-5
October 9, 2017 12:37 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-042 Iridium NEXT 21-30
23rd December 2017 01:27 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-046 Iridium NEXT 31-40
February 22, 2018 14:17 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-049 Paz , Tintin A and B
March 30, 2018 14:13 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-051 Iridium NEXT 41-50
May 22, 2018 19:48 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-055 Iridium NEXT 51-55,
GRACE-FO 1 and 2
July 25, 2018 11:39 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-059 Iridium NEXT 56-65
October 8, 2018 02:21 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-062 SAOCOM 1A
3rd December 2018 18:34 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-064 SSO-A First second reuse of the same rocket stage
January 11, 2019 15:31 4E Falcon 9 v1.2 9-067 Iridium NEXT 66-75
June 12, 2019 14:17 4E Falcon 9 9-072 Radarsat Constellation

Landing list

date Pad Missile type serial number Remarks
October 8, 2018 4W Falcon 9 v1.2 B1048.2 First landing on VAFB Landing Zone 4
June 12, 2019 4W Falcon 9 v1.2 B1051.2

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ SpaceX Breaks Ground on Launch Pad for Huge Private Rocket (Space.com, July 13, 2011) . Retrieved July 22, 2011.

Web links