Editing Vandenberg Space Force Base (section)

===== SpaceX Falcon =====
[[File:Launch of Falcon 9 carrying CASSIOPE (130929-F-ET475-012).jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|The launch of the first Falcon 9 v1.1 from [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|SLC-4]], Vandenberg AFB ([[Falcon 9 Flight 6]]) on 29 September 2013]]

[[SpaceX]] briefly used SLC-3W during the early development of the [[Falcon 1]] launch vehicle,<ref name="nasaspaceflight1">[http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=9958.2550 NASASpaceflight.com Forum] > General Space Flight (Atlas, Delta, ESA, Russian, Chinese) > Commercial Launchers (Space X, Sea Launch, etc.) > Topic: Elon Musk Q&A – Updates SpaceX status on Falcon and Dragon > Reply #2554</ref><ref name="Proposed Rules">Federal Register /Vol. 73, No. 245 / Friday, 19 December 2008 / [http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2008-0332-0001 Proposed Rules], page 77579.</ref> and later moved operations to [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|Space Launch Complex 4-East]] (SLC-4E). [[SpaceX]] refurbished SLC-4E for [[Falcon 9]] and [[Falcon Heavy]] launches,<ref name=hbs28442>{{cite web |url=http://www.hobbyspace.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=28442|title=SpaceX announces launch date for FH|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921051227/http://hobbyspace.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=28442|archive-date=21 September 2011}}</ref> in a 24-month process that began in early 2011.<ref name="ScullyJ">{{cite news|url=http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/military/vandenberg/article_9fb48ac2-31be-11e0-890e-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Report: Falcon plan OK for environment|last=Scully|first=Janene|date=5 February 2011|publisher=Santa Maria Times|access-date=7 February 2011|location=Santa Maria, California}}</ref> The draft [[environmental impact assessment]] with a finding of "no significant impact" was published in February 2011.<ref name="ScullyJ" /> Demolition began on the pad's fixed and mobile service towers in summer 2011.<ref name="SpaceX-Updates">{{cite web|url=http://www.spacex.com/updates.php |title=SpaceX News|date=15 August 2011|access-date=15 August 2011|publisher=SpaceX|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810005955/http://www.spacex.com/updates.php|archive-date=10 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

By late 2012, SpaceX continued to anticipate that the initial launch from the Vandenberg pad would be in 2013, but would be a Falcon 9 launch—actually a heavily modified and much larger [[Falcon 9 v1.1]].<ref name=sn20121112>{{cite news|title=SpaceX Gears Up for Launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base|url=http://www.spacenews.com/article/spacex-gears-up-for-launches-at-vandenberg-air-force-base|access-date=9 February 2013|publisher=SpaceNews|date=12 November 2012}}</ref> As the pad was nearing completion in February 2013, the first Falcon 9 launch was scheduled for summer 2013<ref name=dbdc20130211>{{cite news |title=First look/SpaceX Launch Complex/Vandenberg AFB|url=http://photos.dailybreeze.com/2013/02/photos-first-lookspacex-launch-complexvandenberg-afb/|access-date=1 April 2013|newspaper=dailybreeze.com|date=11 February 2013}}</ref> and was finally launched on 29 September 2013. This was the [[maiden flight]] of the Falcon 9 v1.1 evolution, carrying Canada's [[CASSIOPE]] satellite.<ref>Space.com, [http://www.space.com/23023-spacex-falcon-9-from-vandenberg-afb-near-perfect-video.html SpaceX Falcon 9 From Vandenberg AFB Near Perfect] (accessed 5 August 2014)</ref> In October 2018, SpaceX landed a Falcon 9 booster on a [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|Vandenberg ground pad]] for the first time.<ref>popularmechanics.com, [https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a23640822/space-x-west-coast-falcon-9-landing/ SpaceX Completes First Ever Falcon 9 Launch and Landing on the West Coast]</ref>

In April 2023, SpaceX leased SLC-6 to begin converting it for [[Falcon 9]] and [[Falcon Heavy]] launches after the last Delta IV launch there.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPACE LAUNCH DELTA 30 TO LEASE SPACE LAUNCH COMPLEX 6 TO SPACE X |url=https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3351366/space-launch-delta-30-to-lease-space-launch-complex-6-to-space-x |access-date=2023-10-29 |date=2023-04-24|website=Vandenberg Space Force Base |language=en-US}}</ref> SpaceX expects to begin Falcon 9 launches from SLC-6 in 2025 and Falcon Heavy launches in 2026.<ref name="noozhawk-20231204">{{cite web |last=Scully |first=Janene |url=https://www.noozhawk.com/spacex-launch-rate-at-vandenberg-sfb-could-soar-to-100-by-2025/ |title=SpaceX Yearly Launch Rate at Vandenberg SFB Could Soar to 100 by 2025 |work=[[Noozhawk]] |date=4 December 2023 |access-date=5 December 2023}}</ref>