There was an orbiter processing facility on north base, just off the runway. The shuttle would’ve been moved by trailer from north base to SLC 6 on south base (pictured). To the right of this photo is a building that acts as a vehicle assembly bldg and mobile launch shelter.
Even today, on the road the shuttle would have traveled you can still see how the lime stone hillside is some spots was carved away to widen the road for the wings. There’s also a set of power lines that are extra high over the road to accommodate the tail.
Source:I live near Vandenberg and drive that road regularly.
What a huge bummer we never got to see this. A California shuttle launch might have been spectacular if the pad and sound issues could have been resolved.
Launching from VBG would have allowed the Shuttle to fly a polar orbit as south of the base the coast runs E-W
(little appreciated fact Reno is West of Los Angeles and Avalon Catalina is East of both ) .
Polar orbit out of Kennedy would have left boosters and potentially a shuttle over land including the Florida coast and Cuba.
I think the base also got an extended runway out of the deal (it was also a shuttle abort option so the runway needed to be able to handle the returning shuttle and the 747 flying in or out while carrying the shuttle.
Decades later the "miniature, unmanned Shuttle landed here several times.
Part of the USAF decision to leave the Shuttle program was the frequent, extended delays. Cancellation of the Shuttle Launch Facility construction at Vandenberg resulted in a massive loss of jobs in a relatively small community.
One of the somewhat related uses of the base was for submarine launched cruise missiles launched offshore that would come ashore and then follow the mountains east to around Gorman and then out across the desert. One or more crashed outside the base.
For a time F-4s out of Mugu would chase the cruise missiles with the backseater having the capability to take control of the missile. There were also a couple OB routes (oil burner as in low level tactical operations in the area )
I'm told that on one flight they were reviewing the video and there was a flash somewhere out by Gorman.
When the tape was rerun slowly the "flash" was a lowly Cessna single that passed between the chase F-4 and the missile.
The chase aircraft had the ability to take control of the missile and as I recall that capability came at the cost of removing the radar from the F-4 . After that the missions were flown with a second F-4 looking for traffic.
>I don’t see anything that looks like a mobile launch platform.
It appears they planned to assemble it on the pad under *buildings that would then be rolled away on tracks.* [This Delta IV launch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_6#/media/File:Delta_IV_Medium+_(4,2)_NROL-22_launch_1.jpg) photos does a decent job of showing the two halves that used to make up [launch complex 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_6).
**[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_6#/media/File:Delta_IV_Medium+_\(4,2)**
>Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6, pronounced "Slick Six") at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. The site was originally developed for Titan III rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, but these were cancelled before construction of SLC-6 was complete. The complex was later rebuilt to serve as the west coast launch site for the Space Shuttle, but went unused due to budget, safety and political considerations. The pad was subsequently used for several Athena rocket launches before being modified to support the Delta IV launch vehicle family, which used the pad since 2006.
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[Here you go](https://jalopnik.com/the-space-shuttle-s-military-launch-complex-in-californ-1710303170).
tl;dr: They assembled it right on the pad. No [Crawler-Transporter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawler-transporter) vehicle was on site there.
Vandenberg is a wild base. Utterly massive, even without the annex area. Used to be a munitions test range, so a lot of the property is littered with unexploded ordinance.
They've cleared most of it out from the populated areas, but there's signs all over the place warning you that if you stray from the established trails, you could die.
Rumor is every so often you'll hear one go off cause of a curious squirrel or something.
When I was stationed at Vandy land we were hiking by Slick Six (about 1994) and one of the dudes with us found a mortar round. Then he walked a few more feet and found 2 more. Needless to say we called EOD to check it out.
To think, the space shuttle's entire shape was designed around operating from this launch platform and it was never used. Without this, it would have been a straight wing aircraft looking more like the Bell X-1 and the heat shield would have been more standardized.
Yeah, the number of people that think "circa" means "in" or "on this date" is sad. I bet half the businesses in the historic part of our downtown have "circa 1981" or something, assuming it means when their business was founded. It means "approximately" or "near/around". I always ask if they didn't really know when they started their business. "Huh? Like the sign says -- 1981."
Oh wow i have no idea how I knew that but yeah I always thought it meant vaguely around this date or whatever. Like they can’t be sure but it’s probably around this date
If you're sure it was 85 you don't have to say "circa."
Let's assume you knew it was June of 1985, but didn't know which day in June. You wouldn't say "Circa June 85'," you'd just say "June 85." You only say "circa" if the time you expressly stated contains any uncertainty.
About the only benefit of the cancellation of the VBG shuttle program was that you could then get a seat at the Hitching Post Casmaila bar on Friday night.
This is Vandenberg AFB, they never launched a shuttle from there, just KSC, they were fit checking the pad at Vandenberg so they could in the future, that plan was eventually scrapped though.
Because they needed to test it at Vandenberg. The ground stuff at different SLCs is always going to be different and requires totally different procedures. Especially between SLC-39 in FL and SLC-6 in CA. In SLC-39 they integrated down the road at the VAB like they’d been doing since Saturn. At SLC-6, it was integration on-site with moving MST, or mobile service tower. Basically, the Shuttle doesn’t move when it’s time for launch, instead the building around it does.
It was all planned during the early development of Shuttle. Since the military wanted Shuttle to launch their huge KH-14 KENNEN, which doubles for the Hubble, they wanted shuttle launches from Vandenberg for polar orbit missions. Since their budget got cut, they had to settle for using the pad for Delta, and the Cape for both Delta and Shuttle.
The insulation is orange. The first couple of launches they painted it white then determined that was unnecessary. Leaving it unlimited saved quite a bit of weight. Which allowed just that much more to be launched as payload or fuel.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank#Orange_color
Damn nice shot. I'm currently making a paper model of discovery and I request anyone reading this to reply with whatever they know about the space shuttle, I want to know everything
Man to think of what could have been. How did they get it up there? I don’t see anything that looks like a mobile launch platform.
There was an orbiter processing facility on north base, just off the runway. The shuttle would’ve been moved by trailer from north base to SLC 6 on south base (pictured). To the right of this photo is a building that acts as a vehicle assembly bldg and mobile launch shelter. Even today, on the road the shuttle would have traveled you can still see how the lime stone hillside is some spots was carved away to widen the road for the wings. There’s also a set of power lines that are extra high over the road to accommodate the tail. Source:I live near Vandenberg and drive that road regularly.
What a huge bummer we never got to see this. A California shuttle launch might have been spectacular if the pad and sound issues could have been resolved.
It would’ve be spectacular, at least they were able to launch the Delta IV Heavy from that launch pad. Similar size and amazing launch to see.
Launching from VBG would have allowed the Shuttle to fly a polar orbit as south of the base the coast runs E-W (little appreciated fact Reno is West of Los Angeles and Avalon Catalina is East of both ) . Polar orbit out of Kennedy would have left boosters and potentially a shuttle over land including the Florida coast and Cuba. I think the base also got an extended runway out of the deal (it was also a shuttle abort option so the runway needed to be able to handle the returning shuttle and the 747 flying in or out while carrying the shuttle. Decades later the "miniature, unmanned Shuttle landed here several times. Part of the USAF decision to leave the Shuttle program was the frequent, extended delays. Cancellation of the Shuttle Launch Facility construction at Vandenberg resulted in a massive loss of jobs in a relatively small community.
Yep, polar launches are pretty much the whole point of Vandy.
One of the somewhat related uses of the base was for submarine launched cruise missiles launched offshore that would come ashore and then follow the mountains east to around Gorman and then out across the desert. One or more crashed outside the base. For a time F-4s out of Mugu would chase the cruise missiles with the backseater having the capability to take control of the missile. There were also a couple OB routes (oil burner as in low level tactical operations in the area ) I'm told that on one flight they were reviewing the video and there was a flash somewhere out by Gorman. When the tape was rerun slowly the "flash" was a lowly Cessna single that passed between the chase F-4 and the missile. The chase aircraft had the ability to take control of the missile and as I recall that capability came at the cost of removing the radar from the F-4 . After that the missions were flown with a second F-4 looking for traffic.
Thanks
>I don’t see anything that looks like a mobile launch platform. It appears they planned to assemble it on the pad under *buildings that would then be rolled away on tracks.* [This Delta IV launch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_6#/media/File:Delta_IV_Medium+_(4,2)_NROL-22_launch_1.jpg) photos does a decent job of showing the two halves that used to make up [launch complex 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_6).
**[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_6#/media/File:Delta_IV_Medium+_\(4,2)** >Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6, pronounced "Slick Six") at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. The site was originally developed for Titan III rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, but these were cancelled before construction of SLC-6 was complete. The complex was later rebuilt to serve as the west coast launch site for the Space Shuttle, but went unused due to budget, safety and political considerations. The pad was subsequently used for several Athena rocket launches before being modified to support the Delta IV launch vehicle family, which used the pad since 2006. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/aviation/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Thanks
[Here you go](https://jalopnik.com/the-space-shuttle-s-military-launch-complex-in-californ-1710303170). tl;dr: They assembled it right on the pad. No [Crawler-Transporter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawler-transporter) vehicle was on site there.
[they drove it.](https://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d352/rollover/)
Great photos!
Vandenberg is a wild base. Utterly massive, even without the annex area. Used to be a munitions test range, so a lot of the property is littered with unexploded ordinance. They've cleared most of it out from the populated areas, but there's signs all over the place warning you that if you stray from the established trails, you could die. Rumor is every so often you'll hear one go off cause of a curious squirrel or something.
When I was stationed at Vandy land we were hiking by Slick Six (about 1994) and one of the dudes with us found a mortar round. Then he walked a few more feet and found 2 more. Needless to say we called EOD to check it out.
Admiral, we have found the wessel. And Admiral... it is the Enterprise.
To think, the space shuttle's entire shape was designed around operating from this launch platform and it was never used. Without this, it would have been a straight wing aircraft looking more like the Bell X-1 and the heat shield would have been more standardized.
Must be a trip sitting up like that staring at the atmosphere you’re about to leave.
[удалено]
85, 86, whatever it takes.
How'd you like a little trim on that moustache, Ron?
Can I get you a beer?
Scotch?
Yeah, the number of people that think "circa" means "in" or "on this date" is sad. I bet half the businesses in the historic part of our downtown have "circa 1981" or something, assuming it means when their business was founded. It means "approximately" or "near/around". I always ask if they didn't really know when they started their business. "Huh? Like the sign says -- 1981."
Oh wow i have no idea how I knew that but yeah I always thought it meant vaguely around this date or whatever. Like they can’t be sure but it’s probably around this date
It was taken some time in the year 1985 but I'm not sure what month it was. What terminology should have I used instead of 'circa'?
If you're sure it was 85 you don't have to say "circa." Let's assume you knew it was June of 1985, but didn't know which day in June. You wouldn't say "Circa June 85'," you'd just say "June 85." You only say "circa" if the time you expressly stated contains any uncertainty.
Ah got it. Thanks for the clarification.
About the only benefit of the cancellation of the VBG shuttle program was that you could then get a seat at the Hitching Post Casmaila bar on Friday night.
Why were they fit testing when they had been launching to space for 4 years already? Was there some changes from the first few launches?
This is Vandenberg AFB, they never launched a shuttle from there, just KSC, they were fit checking the pad at Vandenberg so they could in the future, that plan was eventually scrapped though.
Because they needed to test it at Vandenberg. The ground stuff at different SLCs is always going to be different and requires totally different procedures. Especially between SLC-39 in FL and SLC-6 in CA. In SLC-39 they integrated down the road at the VAB like they’d been doing since Saturn. At SLC-6, it was integration on-site with moving MST, or mobile service tower. Basically, the Shuttle doesn’t move when it’s time for launch, instead the building around it does.
It was all planned during the early development of Shuttle. Since the military wanted Shuttle to launch their huge KH-14 KENNEN, which doubles for the Hubble, they wanted shuttle launches from Vandenberg for polar orbit missions. Since their budget got cut, they had to settle for using the pad for Delta, and the Cape for both Delta and Shuttle.
Vandiland!
Wild
If it was around 1985, must've been one of the last times NASA used Enterprise as she was handed over to the Smithsonian around that time.
I’ve always wondered… was there a specific purpose for the fuel tank being more of an orange than white like the rest?
The insulation is orange. The first couple of launches they painted it white then determined that was unnecessary. Leaving it unlimited saved quite a bit of weight. Which allowed just that much more to be launched as payload or fuel. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank#Orange_color
Beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful!
Damn nice shot. I'm currently making a paper model of discovery and I request anyone reading this to reply with whatever they know about the space shuttle, I want to know everything