Latest news with #VandenbergSpaceForceBase
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
West Coast Opportunities Await Space Industry Rocket Booster Builders
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base. America is struggling to keep up with a booming space industry. A particular space challenge is looming in the Pacific, where investments to bolster U.S. space launch infrastructure lag behind Florida's highly-integrated East Coast launch complexes. This East Coast overweighting is a mistake. Too much big-booster production and other key space manufacturing infrastructure is consolidating eastward. But America's Western launch sites are growing in importance, and the lack of space industry investment may strangle opportunities for future growth. The problem is an economic one. The space industry loves the short-term economic stimulus provided by the Southeastern states, but the operational consequences from the over-consolidation of this industry in the Southeast is, for certain space products, quite dire. Take boosters. The wide, tall and heavy rocket boosters of tomorrow are outgrowing America's old-school roads and rail systems. They don't travel well, and that forces America's next-generation orbital rockets into a crippling dependence upon America's fragile, underdeveloped and easily-disrupted maritime transportation network. This, coupled with America's unfortunate defenestration of the West Coast's limited supply of industrial waterfront, means that America's space launch industry is on the verge of trapping itself on the wrong side of the increasingly unreliable Panama Canal. For the U.S. space economy, overbuilding East Coast space launch support infrastructure provides short term gains in exchange for long-term risks. Cape Canaveral is a wonderful facility. But the Pacific offers America and the Space Industry massive and overlooked opportunities. Outside of SpaceX, America's big-booster community has been slow to invest in the West Coast. To grow—and to challenge SpaceX's virtual lock on the West Coast's big-rocket opportunities, California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, Alaska's Pacific Spaceport Complex and other remote-but-ideally-placed launch sites in America's Pacific territories need more West Coast-based booster production and associated support infrastructure. A 212-foot-tall SLS core stage for the Artemis II moon rocket squeezes out of a barge West Coast is the Space Industry's Future: For space flight, western momentum is undeniable. At California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, the Falcon 9-driven launch tempo has increased by a torrid 30% a year. After hosting just four launches in 2012, Vandenberg is challenging Cape Canaveral's blistering launch tempo. Between May 31 and June 28, Vandenberg hosted seven rocket launches to Cape Canaveral's 10. It would only take a strong hurricane for Vandenberg to sneak ahead. Farther north, the remote Pacific Spaceport Complex—becalmed by launch and testing failures—still predicts launch tempo at the Kodiak, Alaska-based facility will, by 2030, increase almost ten-fold. Farther west, additional development beckons the right innovators. Long-abandoned U.S. rocket-launch facilities on Johnston Island, leased facilities on Kwajalein, and other remote places in the deep Pacific offer American space launch programs invaluable launching points near the equator. With open sea to the east, America's island holdings may offer new frontiers for the big and heavy rockets—and the big, heavy payloads—of the future. Right now, the only big-rocket company poised to exploit America's Pacific space launch facilities is SpaceX. Elon Musk—a newly-minted presidential adversary—moved the SpaceX headquarters out of California in a highly-publicized political huff. Despite the well-orchestrated political showmanship, SpaceX has steadily expanded their West Coast footprint, growing a Long Beach port facility—just 30 minutes from a Falcon 9 first stage fabrication plant—so SpaceX employees can recover and refurbish Falcon 9 booster cores faster and, potentially, assemble and ship larger rockets for use elsewhere. Rivals may be hesitant to challenge SpaceX in the Pacific, but, even SpaceX's ideally-built-out 14-acre waterfront facility is no sure thing. Musk's new 'spaceport' is a former Navy base. In essence, SpaceX has effectively appropriated the Long Beach Naval Complex—and all the infrastructure investment the U.S. government made in the facility—for a bargain-basement cost. An irked White House could easily use the burgeoning national security threat in the Pacific as an excuse to recover the entire complex, dashing SpaceX's virtual monopoly on America's Pacific launch infrastructure—a step that would launch a healthy competition as booster manufacturers jostled for a West Coast toehold. Even without White House involvement, additional big booster-building outposts outside of the already-crowded Los Angeles/Long Beach waterfront makes sense. Private industry is paying a lot for launches, offering an opportunity to quickly pay off the capital costs. Space, however, is limited. Only a handful of California harbors can offer the Space industry the right combination of waterfront access and skilled labor within a few hundred miles of Vandenberg's launch pads. Wider geographical distribution of America's booster production and refurbishment sites is a good thing for America's space industry. It is the only way to accelerate an already blistering Pacific launch tempo at Vandenberg, and America's booster rockets, orbital payloads and geospatial stakes are just getting bigger.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Is there a rocket launch today? Why SpaceX launches have been paused in California
Southern Californians accustomed to seeing (or hearing) loud spacecraft thundering into the sky may be wondering why it's been so quiet lately at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Nearly two weeks have gone by without a rocket launch from the Santa Barbara County spaceport – an unusual duration for an active launch site that typically oversees about one or two liftoffs a week. So, what's the deal? Vandenberg Space Force Base: 4 things to know about site of California rocket launches Here's what California residents and space enthusiasts should know about the pause in launch activity from Vandenberg, which – rest assured – is temporary, officials say. Multiple websites dedicated to tracking rocket launch schedules list a bevy of upcoming spaceflights, but none anytime soon for the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Califiornia. That may sound strange for a spaceport where rocket launches are only becoming more and more common. But turns out, it's not an oversight. What gives? Well, it's all part of a "scheduled pause" due to routine maintenance at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E,) a spokesperson for Space Launch Delta 30, which manages launch operations, confirmed to the USA TODAY Network. The complex is home to the launch pad where SpaceX routinely launches its Falcon 9 rockets to deliver Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX conducted all six of the rocket launches in June from the Vandenberg Space Force Base – all but one of which was a Starlink mission. On June 23, the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk launched Transporter 14 – a rideshare mission to deliver 70 payloads for paying customers into orbit. Most prominently, the Falcon 9 transported a spacecraft carrying the remains of 166 individuals for Houston company Celestis' most recent memorial spaceflight. The mission was followed June 28 by SpaceX's final Starlink orbital delivery mission of the month. The next Starlink mission from Vandenberg may be targeted for liftoff as early as Sunday, July 13, multiple rocket launch trackers show. However, the mission was not yet noted in a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory as of Wednesday, July 9. Interestingly, as of July 9, a SpaceX rocket launch was scheduled for July 13 on the East Coast − a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will deliver more Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Neither Vandenberg nor SpaceX have officially confirmed when launches will resume. The USA TODAY Network left a message Wednesday, July 9, seeking more information. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Next California rocket launch? About 'scheduled pause' at Vandenberg
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NC man's cremated remains lost in the Pacific Ocean after memorial spaceflight
A memorial spaceflight that promised to carry a Fuquay-Varina man's ashes into low-Earth orbit and retrieve them as a keepsake malfunctioned on its re-entry, crashed into the Pacific Ocean and scattered his remains at sea. The experience deeply disappointed Karin Nielson, who paid more than $3,000 to give her sci-fi fanatic husband a posthumous tribute. But she and her son Andrew feel happy Steve Nielson at least got his long-awaited trip to space, despite a portion of his remains being lost. 'Honestly, I'm not surprised this happened,' she said Tuesday, still in California for the space experience. 'I'm just glad the rocket didn't blow up in front of Andrew.' Steve Nielson died in November of 2023 after fighting a long string of illnesses, and his family wanted to celebrate his avid sci-fi fandom, which was so intense that he appreciated 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' equally. The Celestis Memorial Spaceflight promised to launch him posthumously into space along with 165 other cremated travelers aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, circling the Earth at 17,000 mph. Nielson gave Celestis only about a gram of her husband's remains before traveling to California for the launch this week. 'I know space travel has inherent risks,' she said. 'I was not going to be stupid enough to give them all the remains and not gotten them back.' The launch got delayed several times, and when it came time for liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, the families had to watch from an athletic field several miles away. 'There was a little league team practicing,' Nielson said. Then Monday, Nielson got an email from Celestis CEO Charles M. Chafer, which was nearly identical to a posting on the company's website. 'We regret to share that an anomaly occurred during reentry, specifically, the parachute system failed, resulting in the Nyx capsule impacting the Pacific Ocean and dispersing its contents at sea,' Chafer wrote. 'As a result of this unforeseen event, we believe that we will not be able to recover or return Stephen G. Nielson's flight capsule. We share in your disappointment, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for the trust you placed in us.' Chafter praised the bravery and ambition of all involved, and noted this was the first Celestis flight designed to return from orbit. 'We also recognize that no technical achievement replaces the profound personal meaning this service holds for you and your family,' he continued, adding, 'Though we currently believe that we cannot return your loved one's capsule, we hope you find some peace in knowing they were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific.' Nielson plans to return to North Carolina Wednesday after what she called 'without a doubt one of the weirdest trips of my life.' 'It's unfortunate,' she said. 'But he made it to space and that's what he wanted. Yes, the remains weren't returned. We're just ecstatic and excited that he was able to go to space.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX rideshare mission carried more than 160 capsules of human remains: Here's why
The remains of more than 160 deceased people reached orbit on a spacecraft that hitched a ride on a SpaceX rocket. And it's not the first time that a company from Texas has worked with a launch provider like billionaire Elon Musk's commercial spaceflight company to provide cosmic memorial services to those who may not favor a traditional burial. Since 1994, Celestis has offered about two-dozen memorial spaceflights to transport the remains of loved ones beyond Earth's atmosphere. This time, though, the mission that got off the ground from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California was designed to return from orbit in a major first. While an "anomaly" prevented the spacecraft bearing the memorial capsules from making a gentle landing, the payload did indeed make it to orbit – and even twice circled Earth. Here's what to know about Celestis' memorial spaceflights, as well as its latest mission to transport human remains to orbit. California rocket launches: Here's a look at the upcoming SpaceX schedule from Vandenberg Celestis is a company based in Houston, Texas specializing in transporting human remains to space for cosmic memorials. Capsules containing DNA and human remains are included as payloads on spacecraft launched into orbit by other companies, including SpaceX. Celestis' services allow for families to pay for cremated remains in capsules or DNA to be launched into space, where they can either return intact or remain until they reenter Earth's atmosphere, "harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in final tribute," the company says on its website. In another offering, the company facilitates the transportation of memorial capsules to interplanetary space well beyond the moon. Celestis' most recent payload of memorial capsules was included in a SpaceX rideshare mission known as Transporter 14. The mission got off the ground Monday, June 23 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket then delivered 70 total payloads, including small satellites, for paying customers to a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning they matched Earth's rotation around the sun. For its most recent mission, a total of 166 individual Celestis memorial capsules were on board a Nyx spacecraft manufactured by Europe-based The Exploration Company (TEC,) which hitched a ride on the Falcon 9. Among those whose remains on board the flight was Wesley Melvin Dreyer, an aerospace engineer selected by NASA to be on the team that investigated the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986. The launch, Celestis' 25th overall mission since it was founded in 1994, was meant to be Celestis' first-ever to return from an altitude high enough to be considered Earth's orbit. The Nyx module reached low-Earth orbit, where it traveled for three hours at about 17,000 miles per hour and completed two full orbits around Earth. But instead of safely reentering Earth's atmosphere to land in the Pacific Ocean as planned, the Nyx spacecraft experienced a parachute failure that resulted in it crashing into the sea. As a result, a team was unable to recover the capsules to return them to their families, Celestis co-founder and CEO Charles M. Chafer said in a statement. "We believe that we will not be able to recover or return the flight capsules aboard. We share in the disappointment of our families, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for their trust," Chafer said in a statement provided to the USA TODAY Network. "We hope families will find some peace in knowing their loved ones were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin to a traditional and honored sea scattering." Celestis previously made headlines in January 2024 when its plans to land human remains on the moon's surface attracted some controversy. The plan was for the remains and DNA of more than 70 deceased people to be included on a lunar lander bound for the moon. That included remains from 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. But Navajo Nation, the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States vehemently opposed the lunar burial, penning a letter decrying the plans as "a profound desecration." Ultimately, though, the remains never made it to the moon's surface anyway. Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic's Peregrine lander fell short of its destination when it began leaking a "critical" amount of propellant – instead burning up in Earth's atmosphere after launch. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Company sends human remains to orbit for SpaceX launch from California
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launch scheduled Sunday in California. Will it be visible from Palm Springs?
Coachella Valley residents could catch a glimpse of a SpaceX rocket streaking across the sky this weekend, with a Falcon 9 rocket launch tentatively scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Transporter-14 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County will carry 70 payloads, including "cubesats, microsats, re-entry capsules, and orbital transfer vehicles," into Earth's lower orbit, according to SpaceX. While schedules can shift, the 57-minute launch window is slated to open at 2:18 p.m. Sunday. Backup opportunities are available at the same time Monday. The scheduled mission marks the latest of several SpaceX launches visible from the valley and across Southern California in recent years. A live stream of the rocket launches has typically been available on SpaceX's X account starting a few minutes before liftoff. Following the launch, part of the Falcon 9 rocket is planned to land on a drone station in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX will provide livestream of the launch on its website beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at tcoulter@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: SpaceX launch scheduled Sunday in California. What to know
