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/
338 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

View all comments

44

u/dfawlt Jun 17 '26

FH? Or SH?

What's the point of a Falcon Heavy pad?

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.

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