Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Location | 34°45′55″N120°37′20″W / 34.76528°N 120.62222°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
UTC−07:00 (PDT) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Short name | SLC-10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator | United States Space Force | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total launches | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Launch pad(s) | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Orbital inclination range | 51° – 145° | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Space Launch Complex 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Vandenberg Space Force Base, Lompoc, California | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 34°45′55″N120°37′20″W / 34.76528°N 120.62222°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
NRHP reference No. | 86003511 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Significant dates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Added to NRHP | June 23, 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Designated NHL | June 23, 1986 [1] |
Space Launch Complex 10, or Missile Launch Complex 10, [1] is located on Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, California. It was built in 1958 to test ballistic missiles and developed into a space launching facility in 1963. [2] Prior to 1966 Space Launch Complex 10 West was known as Vandenberg AFB Pad 75-2-6. [3] It remains a rare pristine look at the electronics and facilities created in that era that helped the United States grow its space capabilities.
The last launch from this complex was a Thor booster in 1980. [1] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. [1]
It is undergoing an eight-year restoration, and public visits are possible, if arranged in advance. [4]
The launch complex was built in 1958 by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, and was first designated Complex 75-2. At that time it consisted of three launch pads, which were used to train military operators of PGM-17 Thor ballistic missiles, and to conduct missile launch tests. The first launches were conducted by the British Royal Air Force in June and August 1959. [1] The facilities at SLC-10 were dismantled and transported to Johnston Island in support of Operation Dominic, a nuclear weapons testing project conducted there in 1962.
The launch complex was rebuilt in 1963 to support the development of Burner rockets, with two launch pads, designated SLC-10E and SLC-10W. Tests were conducted at SLC-10W from 1965 to 1980, using the Thor satellite launch vehicles, the first stages of which followed the design of the Thor missile.
Two launch pads and a prefabricated launch blockhouse are the principal surviving elements of the complex. The blockhouse interior still includes all of the electrical equipment used in later launches. SLC-10W also includes pipes and storage facilities for storing and managing the liquid fuel used in the rockets. [5]
Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
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