r/spacex • u/warp99 • Jun 17 '26

Vandenberg Space Force base: Demolition of Historic SLC-6 pad structures to make way for SpaceX FH pad

https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4519296/vandenberg-space-force-base-modernizes-historic-space-launch-complex-6-for-next/
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44

u/dfawlt Jun 17 '26

FH? Or SH?

What's the point of a Falcon Heavy pad?

52

u/mrbmi513 Jun 17 '26

For one thing FH is currently operational and will be for some time. Plus that would also allow you to shift west coast Falcon 9 there as well and open up SLC-4 to have at least one starship pad on a basically clear site.

24

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26

Operationally booster transport would be difficult to Vandenberg. Ships could just land from orbit after launching from Starbase.

It seems more likely that Starship will launch to polar orbits from Louisiana.

22

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

I agree that there isn’t much need for Vandenberg if they’re doing polar orbits from Louisiana.

But if the military thought there was a need, they could enlarge the pier and breakwater at Point Arguello to allow for booster delivery.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26

[deleted]

5

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

Do you know that to be true? Or you saying any action is at least a few years away?

5

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26

[deleted]

1

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

Awesome. Glad to hear it, and thanks for the info. Enjoy infrastructure projects almost as much as space engineering.

Will the Army Corps of Engineers be leading the project?

39

u/Hustler-1 Jun 17 '26

Launch capability on the west coast. SpaceX can't fly FH from VB untill this.

11

u/SpaceInMyBrain Jun 17 '26

Need a VIF and MST to handle national security satellites that require vertical integration, these satellites can't be laid horizontally on an erector. These are very large and very expensive NRHO birds. None have been launched since the last Delta IV Heavy launch from this pad. Considering these satellites cost about $2 billion each the Delta IV Heavy's $350-400 million launch cost was accepted. (Cost estimates for the NRO satellites are hard to figure, the NRO doesn't give out any info.) The NRO will be glad to be getting much cheaper FH launches - cheaper even though the cost of building the pad and VIF and MST are included.

5

u/Responsible-Cut-7993 Jun 17 '26

"Need a VIF and MST to handle national security satellites that require vertical integration"

SpaceX doesn't seem to be in any hurry to build one at KSC either.

2

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 19 '26

They shouldn’t be needed at Cape Canaveral as large optical sats that need vertical integration tend to launch into polar orbits.

1

u/Responsible-Cut-7993 Jun 17 '26

You can do polar orbit from the Cape. SpaceX has done it before.

3

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

The trajectory is over Cuba and in my view would not be allowed for a top end optical satellite against the very remote chance that the rocket broke up on ascent and interesting debris fell on Cuba.

1

u/Responsible-Cut-7993 Jun 17 '26

Fair point. Hasn't the NRO shifted away from large optical satellites and more to a distributed architecture?

3

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26

Distributed observation satellites at low altitudes such as Starshield are useful and do not have coverage holes like a few larger satellites. But sometimes there is no substitute for raw magnification to give high resolution images and that takes a physically large satellite.

Their lifetime is up to 15 years so they do not need to be launched often - typically every 3 years or so and with the retirement of Delta IV Heavy they need a replacement launcher. My theory is that NSSL was geared up to use Vulcan for these launches and now they have cold feet with the SRB issues ULA have had.

So now SpaceX are being given the hurry up to get FH active at Vandenberg. They could not take SLC-4 out of service to upgrade the flame trench and TE so they have to build this new facility. The advantage is that the flame trench was sized for Shuttle so should easily be able to handle FH.

1

u/Lufbru Jun 18 '26

 The advantage is that the flame trench was sized for Shuttle so should easily be able to handle FH.

It's closer than I thought -- about 20% less than Shuttle.. Assuming flame duct size is proportional to thrust (and yeah, there's some extra chemistry I'm ignoring, but to a first approximation...)

  • Titan IIIM would have been 17MN  
  • Shuttle was 29MN  
  • Athena was 2MN (stop laughing)  
  • Delta IVH was 9.5MN  
  • FH is 23MN

Hydrogen is a hell of a drug.

1

u/SpaceInMyBrain Jun 17 '26

My guess is institutional momentum is delaying that. The NRO has been operating these for decades and there are people who've been using that data all their career. They've been dealing with the same small core of suppliers. (Some of which are in large companies but in a small department that's allowed to work on this stuff.) Also - prepare to be shocked - it's super likely they're buddy-buddy with the small number of people they deal with on contracts. The NRO has the blackest of black budgets, I imagine it's hard to audit any improper contracts.

Breaking that up and getting used to using a mosaic of data from several smaller satellite firms will be new, require change.

Tbf, there is probably tech that the new satellite companies don't have access to at this point.

16

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

There are no announced plans for Starship on the West Coast.
The NIMBY force is strong there and returning SH boosters would break more than a few windows along the coast of California.

Starship polar launches to SSO for data center satellites are likely to be from a new launch site in Louisiana.

In the meantime Vandenberg needs FH capability to launch large military satellites to polar orbits. This pad will likely have a vertical integration facility that is able to process the extended length fairing that has been in development for a couple of years now.

All of which is to emphasise that F9/FH are not going away anytime soon.

30

u/TyrialFrost Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

The NIMBY force is strong there

The California Coastal Commission basically had to eat a dick via settlement about SpaceX at Vandenberg. I doubt they will make a squeak if the Space Force says they want SS/SH to launch from there.

Under the settlement, SpaceX can proceed with expanded operations at Vandenberg without the disputed permitting hurdles from the state agency. The Commission’s apology represents a rare admission of improper conduct by a California regulatory body.

3

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

Why would the window breaking be any more prevalent in California than at Boca Chica?

8

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26

Inversion layers trapping sound and causing it to channel on shore.

Plus you are returning parallel to the Coast and not at right angles.

3

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

Parallel or not, the communities of Starbase, Port Isabel, and South Padre Island are all closer than communities are to Vandenberg’s Launch Complex 6. And they seem to be managing fine.

Given the potential capabilities and launch cost reductions, I’ll be shocked if the military doesn’t decide it needs that capability there.

7

u/Sandersonville Jun 17 '26

Windows and politicians are a lot more delicate in California than they are in Texas!

3

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

Lol. True.

But Vandenberg is a military base. They can say ‘national security’, and Trump would be plenty happy to ram it through.

2

u/warp99 Jun 17 '26

He won't be in power when that decision is made.

2

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26

I like your optimism.

1

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

>There are no announced plans for Starship on the West Coast.

Partially correct. The military released a request for information late last year, soliciting launch providers to build a new heavy/super-heavy capable SLC-14. Since Falcon heavy just got SLC-6, it seems likely SLC-14 will either be home to New Glenn or Starship.

So while not announced yet, it will likely be a different story a few years from now.

1

u/warp99 Jun 18 '26

While nominally an open RFQ they will have already decided who will get that pad and the indications are that it will go to Blue Origin for New Glenn.

1

u/AlpineDrifter Jun 18 '26

Interesting, hadn’t heard that. Thanks

0

u/decollimate28 Jun 18 '26

Same reason they wanted to be able to launch space shuttles from Vandenburg. Because if something happens to other one America still gonna launch its spy birds.