Key facts
- SpaceX is modernizing Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Space Force Base for its Falcon rockets.
- The company began demolishing old, underused launch towers and infrastructure.
- SpaceX expects modifications, including the construction of two landing pads for reusable Falcon 9 first stage boosters, to take an additional 18 months.
- Falcon Heavy launches from the site could commence as early as 2030, depending on National Reconnaissance Office needs.
SpaceX has initiated the demolition of outdated launch infrastructure at Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This move is part of SpaceX's plan to modernize the site for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. The facility, originally built for NASA's Space Shuttle program and later used by Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance (ULA) for various rockets, has been largely underutilized for decades.
SLC-6 has a history of development and abandonment. It was prepared for the Space Shuttle but never used operationally after the Challenger disaster. Subsequent efforts to adapt it for Titan IV rockets in the early 1990s were brief. Lockheed Martin launched its LMLV-1, Athena I, and Athena II rockets from the site in the mid-to-late 1990s. ULA then leased the site for 10 Delta IV rocket launches, with the last one occurring in September 2022.
SpaceX signed a lease for SLC-6 in 2023, aiming to transition from its current launch site at SLC-4, where it has been launching Falcon 9 rockets since 2013. The company also acquired the Orbiter Transporter System, originally for the shuttle, which is now used for transporting Falcon 9 first stages. The current demolition advances SpaceX's goal of modernizing the site.
According to an environmental impact study, SpaceX anticipates an additional 18 months to complete the necessary modifications to SLC-6. These modifications include the construction of two landing pads specifically for the reusable Falcon 9 first stage boosters. The company could potentially begin launching Falcon Heavy rockets from the site as early as 2030, contingent on the needs of the National Reconnaissance Office. An official quoted in the report stated that the effort is about fielding a more resilient space enterprise to protect national interests.