California’s Fog-Shrouded Base Where Military Satellites Blast Off Into Polar Orbits

Vandenberg Space Force Base (California)

Cold War paranoia built Vandenberg into a missile fortress by the Pacific. Today it’s where SpaceX and military contractors shoot payloads into polar orbits.

It started in 1941, when the U.S. Army bought 86,000 acres along California’s coast for Camp Cooke. This base grew to 99,600 acres between Lompoc and Santa Maria.

The name changed to Vandenberg Air Force Base and later, in 2021, to Vandenberg Space Force Base. Now Space Launch Delta 30 runs the base, handling missile tests and rocket launches.

Here’s more about this secretive space center.

From Army Camp to Missile Base

Camp Cooke was named for Major General Phillip St. George Cooke, who served 46 years in the military. During World War II, five armored divisions trained here before fighting overseas.

German and Italian prisoners of war worked at various jobs around the camp.

The Air Force took over in 1957, attracted by the isolated location. In October 1958, it was renamed for General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, the Air Force’s second Chief of Staff.

First Western Missile Launch

The first missile from Vandenberg, a Thor rocket, launched on December 16, 1958.

Soon after, on February 28, 1959, a Thor-Agena rocket carried Discoverer 1 into space, creating the first satellite to orbit over both poles. This path allows satellites to see every spot on Earth as our planet rotates.

The Discoverer program actually hid a secret mission called CORONA that took photos of Soviet sites. In August 1960, teams recovered Discoverer XIII’s capsule from the ocean—the first object ever retrieved from space.

America’s ICBM Testing Ground

During the Cold War, Vandenberg tested America’s most powerful weapons. Engineers built silos and launch pads for intercontinental ballistic missiles that could deliver warheads across oceans.

Three missile types were tested here: Atlas (53 launches between 1959-1965), then Titan, and finally Minuteman in 1962. Minuteman brought a key improvement—solid fuel that kept missiles ready to launch immediately.

Today, the base still tests unarmed Minuteman III missiles, firing them 4,200 miles across the Pacific to the Marshall Islands.

Space Shuttle That Never Flew

In 1972, the Air Force chose Vandenberg for West Coast shuttle launches. Workers spent seven years and $4 billion preparing Space Launch Complex 6.

The shuttle Enterprise arrived in 1985 for practice runs. Navy Captain Robert Crippen was selected to command the first mission on Discovery, set for October 15, 1986.

After the Challenger explosion in January 1986, all shuttle flights stopped. By December 1989, the Air Force canceled the California shuttle program, leaving behind unused facilities.

Western Range Operations

Every Vandenberg launch is tracked through the Western Range—60,000 square miles of monitored airspace over the Pacific Ocean.

Vandenberg is unique in two ways: it’s the only U.S. site launching satellites into polar orbit (north-to-south around Earth), and the only facility regularly testing intercontinental ballistic missiles, sending them 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll.

Environmental Sanctuary

Between launch pads, Vandenberg protects some of Southern California’s best coastal habitats. These areas house 17 threatened and endangered species.

Two protected animals are the western snowy plover and California red-legged frog. To protect nesting plovers, officials close Surf, Wall, and Minuteman beaches from March 1 to September 30 each year.

Unique Horse Patrol Unit

Vandenberg maintains the Space Force’s only mounted patrol. Four quarter horses and their riders reach remote areas trucks can’t access.

Senior Airman Michael Terrazas explained: “We go through creeks and water with the horses and high hills that we wouldn’t get through with off-road vehicles.”

This team, one of just four conservation units in the entire Air Force, monitors wildlife areas and ensures people follow environmental rules.

SpaceX’s West Coast Launch Site

SpaceX arrived at Vandenberg in 2011, leasing Space Launch Complex 4 East. After renovations, the first Falcon 9 rocket launched on September 29, 2013.

Engineers converted the neighboring pad into Landing Zone 4 for returning rocket boosters. In October 2018, a Falcon 9 first stage landed safely after launching Argentina’s SAOCOM 1A satellite.

In 2025, federal authorities approved increasing SpaceX’s annual launches from 36 to 50.

Launch Complex Heritage

Space Launch Complex 10 joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. This preserved site shows authentic equipment from the 1950s.

The Clementine lunar probe left from Space Launch Complex 4 West in January 1994—the only spacecraft launched to the Moon from Vandenberg.

Other rockets included the last Titan in October 2005 and Delta IV rockets that operated from Space Launch Complex 6 between 2006 and 2022.

Space Force Transformation

On December 20, 2019, the United States created the Space Force as its newest military branch. Vandenberg officially became a Space Force Base on May 14, 2021.

Space Launch Delta 30 replaced the 30th Space Wing as the main unit. The core mission stayed the same: testing missiles, supporting launches, and managing satellite operations.

Minuteman III missile testing continues under Space Force control, ensuring America’s nuclear deterrent remains reliable.

Visiting Vandenberg Space Force Base

Located 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles near Lompoc, Vandenberg offers several public viewing locations for rocket launches.

Hawk’s Nest on Highway 1 provides clear views of Space Launch Complex 3 and 4 launches. Ocean Avenue west of Lompoc gives good visibility for most launches.

Public access to the base itself requires official business or a sponsored tour.

Surf Beach remains open to the public except during plover nesting season (March-September), but visitors must obey posted restrictions to avoid beach closures.

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