Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) is a United States Air Force installation located in Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It is primarily used for space and missile launches, as well as testing and training.
It is one of the few bases in the U.S. that launches intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), as well as satellites into polar orbit.
Vandenberg AFB is home to several different organizations that conduct a wide range of activities, including:
- The 30th Space Wing, which is responsible for the launch and operation of military and civilian satellites, as well as the testing and development of missile defense systems.
- The Western Range, which provides the infrastructure and support for launches from the base, including tracking, telemetry, and range safety.
- The Air Force Test Center, which conducts developmental testing of new technologies and systems for the Air Force.
Examples of launches that have occurred at Vandenberg AFB include:
- The launch of the first ICBM Minuteman-1 missile in 1962.
- The launch of the first missile defense test using an interceptor missile launched from Vandenberg in 1984.
- The launch of various military and civilian reconnaissance, communication and weather satellites, including the first GPS satellites, launched in 1978.
- The launch of various science satellites such as Landsat, Jason, SMOS and CryoSat.
Vandenberg AFB continues to be an important facility for the United States military and for NASA, as well as for commercial companies such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Northrop Grumman.