Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4

This article is about the California landing zones. For LZ-1 and LZ-2, the Florida landing zone, see Landing Zones 1 and 2.

Space Launch Complex 4
SLC-4 with Falcon 9 on launch pad at SLC-4E in January 2017
Map
Launch siteVandenberg Space Force Base
Location34°37′59″N 120°36′47″W / 34.633°N 120.613°W / 34.633; -120.613
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)
UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Short nameSLC-4
Operator
Total launches260
Launch pad(s)2 (1 became a landing zone for Falcon 9)
Orbital inclination
range		55–145°[1]
SLC-4 (PALC-2-4 / SLC-4E) launch history
StatusActive
Launches166
First launch14 August 1964
Atlas-Agena D (KH-7 Gambit 4010)
Last launch18 November 2024
Falcon 9 Block 5 (Starlink G9-12)
Associated
rockets
LZ-4 (PALC-2-3 / SLC-4W) landing history
StatusActive
Landings21 (21 successful, 0 failure)
First landing7 October 2018 (SAOCOM 1A)
Last landing20 October 2024 (OneWeb #20)
Associated
rockets		Falcon 9
SLC-4W (PALC-2-3) launch history
StatusRepurposed
Launches94
First launch12 July 1963
Atlas-Agena D (KH-7 Gambit 4001)
Last launch18 October 2003
Titan 23G (USA-172 / DMSP)
Associated
rockets		Atlas-Agena, Atlas SLV-3, Titan IIID, Titan 23G

Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) is a launch and landing site at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, U.S. It has two pads, both of which are used by SpaceX for Falcon 9, one for launch operations, and the other as Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) for SpaceX landings.

The complex was previously used by Atlas and Titan rockets between 1963 and 2005. It consisted of two launch pads, SLC-4W and SLC-4E, which were formerly designated PALC-2-3 and PALC-2-4 respectively. Both pads were built for use by Atlas-Agena rockets, but were later rebuilt to handle Titan rockets. The designation SLC-4 was applied at the time of the conversion to launch Titan launch vehicles.[2]

Both pads at Space Launch Complex 4 are currently leased by SpaceX. SLC-4E is leased as a launch site for the Falcon 9 rocket, which first flew from Vandenberg on 29 September 2013, following a 24-month refurbishment program which had started in early 2011.[3][4] SpaceX began a five-year lease of Launch Complex 4 West in February 2015 in order to use that area as a landing pad to bring back VTVL return-to-launch-site (RTLS) first-stage boosters of the reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicle. That pad was later named by SpaceX as Landing Zone 4 and first used operationally for a Falcon 9 booster landing in 2018.

  1. ^ "Falcon User's Guide" (PDF). SpaceX. September 2021. p. 11.
  2. ^ "NROL-85 Launch". National Reconnaissance Office. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  3. ^ Scully, Janene (5 February 2011). "Report: Falcon plan OK for environment". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  4. ^ "SpaceX". SpaceX. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.