SpaceX Vandenberg SFB facilities

[catdlr]

Newsom on SpaceX rejection: ‘I’m with Elon’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s side against his own state’s regulators.

Article 

“I’m with Elon,” Newsom, a Democrat, said in an interview late Thursday, after campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground state of North Carolina. “I didn’t like that.”

“Look, I’m not helping the legal case,” Newsom acknowledged. He added, “You can’t bring up that explicit level of politics.”

[FutureSpaceTourist]

SpaceX approved for 50 launches from Vandy:

https://twitter.com/turkeybeaver/status/1855315949320098268

Amazing work by the @SpaceX west coast team on launch #37(!!!) from Vandenberg this year. We are so thankful for our amazing partnership with the @SLDelta30, @SpaceForceDoD, and @DeptofDefense. So much effort from all parties went into clearing the way for increased launch cadence from Vandy this year. We are now approved for 50 launches!

Don’t get it twisted… @SpaceX and @SpaceForceDoD are committed to national security AND protecting the environment. As part of the approval for increased cadence, we are implementing a very robust and detailed species monitoring and mitigation program. We will use data and science, not politics, to protect our planet as we push further into the solar system and make life multi-planetary!

[catdlr]

SpaceX approved for 50 launches from Vandy:

https://x.com/turkeybeaver/status/1855315949320098268

Amazing work by the @SpaceX west coast team on launch #37(!!!) from Vandenberg this year. We are so thankful for our amazing partnership with the @SLDelta30, @SpaceForceDoD, and @DeptofDefense. So much effort from all parties went into clearing the way for increased launch cadence from Vandy this year. We are now approved for 50 launches!

Don’t get it twisted… @SpaceX and @SpaceForceDoD are committed to national security AND protecting the environment. As part of the approval for increased cadence, we are implementing a very robust and detailed species monitoring and mitigation program. We will use data and science, not politics, to protect our planet as we push further into the solar system and make life multi-planetary!

Did the California Costal Commission - Blink?

[StraumliBlight]

FONSI - Falcon 9 Launch Cadence Increase at VSFB  [Nov 1]

The current launch capacity is insufficient to meet critical DOD and commercial launch missions. The EA supports the proposal to provide greater mission capability to the Department of Defense (DOD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and commercial customers by increasing Falcon 9’s flight opportunities in furtherance of U.S. policy

The Proposed Action is to increase the Falcon 9 annual launch cadence from 36 to 50 launches per year at Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) on VSFB, increase Falcon 9 first stage and fairing recovery activities, and expand the recovery area in the Pacific Ocean. Up to 12 boosters per year would continue to land at SLC-4.

EA - Falcon 9 Launch Cadence Increase at VSFB  [Nov 1]

[soltasto]

FONSI - Falcon 9 Launch Cadence Increase at VSFB  [Nov 1]

The current launch capacity is insufficient to meet critical DOD and commercial launch missions. The EA supports the proposal to provide greater mission capability to the Department of Defense (DOD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and commercial customers by increasing Falcon 9’s flight opportunities in furtherance of U.S. policy

The Proposed Action is to increase the Falcon 9 annual launch cadence from 36 to 50 launches per year at Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) on VSFB, increase Falcon 9 first stage and fairing recovery activities, and expand the recovery area in the Pacific Ocean. Up to 12 boosters per year would continue to land at SLC-4.

EA - Falcon 9 Launch Cadence Increase at VSFB  [Nov 1]

Some interesting SLC-6 images from the EA document attached...

[edzieba]

SpaceX approved for 50 launches from Vandy:

https://x.com/turkeybeaver/status/1855315949320098268

Amazing work by the @SpaceX west coast team on launch #37(!!!) from Vandenberg this year. We are so thankful for our amazing partnership with the @SLDelta30, @SpaceForceDoD, and @DeptofDefense. So much effort from all parties went into clearing the way for increased launch cadence from Vandy this year. We are now approved for 50 launches!

Don’t get it twisted… @SpaceX and @SpaceForceDoD are committed to national security AND protecting the environment. As part of the approval for increased cadence, we are implementing a very robust and detailed species monitoring and mitigation program. We will use data and science, not politics, to protect our planet as we push further into the solar system and make life multi-planetary!

Did the California Costal Commission - Blink?

No.

The fundamental dispute was over whether the CCC has jurisdiction over the activities of a private company on Federal land.
The CCC's position is that it does: that SpaceX need to go through the same application route that any other private company does regardless of its location, for all launches that are not DoD launches (e.g. OneWeb #20).
The DoD's position (and thus SpaceX's) is that just being located on Federal land is all that matters, regardless of what that private company is doing.
The CCC effectively voted not to agree with the DoD's position, but the next step would be to figure out what venue is appropriate to argue the jurisdiction dispute.

[catdlr]

Did the California Costal Commission - Blink?

No.

The fundamental dispute was over whether the CCC has jurisdiction over the activities of a private company on Federal land.
The CCC's position is that it does: that SpaceX need to go through the same application route that any other private company does regardless of its location, for all launches that are not DoD launches (e.g. OneWeb #20).
The DoD's position (and thus SpaceX's) is that just being located on Federal land is all that matters, regardless of what that private company is doing.
The CCC effectively voted not to agree with the DoD's position, but the next step would be to figure out what venue is appropriate to argue the jurisdiction dispute.

Thanks, edzieba , an excellent summary.

[seb21051]

I read that Musk has been judge shopping and found himself some good ones in Northern Texas. Wonder how many cases involving him and his companies will end up there. Say what you want, he seems to playing 3D chess while the rest are playing checkers. One wonders how the Regulatory folks, Congress, Old Space and especially SLS will fare in the next 4 years. We are indeed (un)lucky to live in such interesting times.

[RedLineTrain]

I don't believe that's applicable to Vandenberg SFB.  As one example, SpaceX's recent suit against the California Coastal Commission is in a Ninth Circuit court, the least favorable jurisdiction.

[seb21051]

It would seem Spacex and DoD have been able to get approval for 50 launches from Vandenburg. See this video at 8:23:

[catdlr]

It would seem Spacex and DoD have been able to get approval for 50 launches from Vandenburg. See this video at 8:23:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kHvEuIwoftI

as reported above by FST 's post on 11/9:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48391.msg2640111#msg2640111

[waveney]

Notice of Revised Draft EA Comment Period and Upcoming Public Meetings

The FAA SpaceX Boca Chica Project Team

This may be in the wrong thread...

[thespacecow]

Interesting speculation about VSFB:

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1862776292418232738

So with 2 successive launches from Vandenberg SLC-4E where the stream got delayed till after liftoff (this one at T+45 seconds), I have some (probably unverifiable) hypothesis:
1. There’s something around SLC-4E right now that must not be filmed
2. Something on board that would warrant not showing the initial parts of flight (through it would be hard to explain Starlink 9-13)
3. A new @SLDelta30 policy for certain (?) launches to be vague on launch times and showing pad

I wonder...

[AmigaClone]

Interesting speculation about VSFB:

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1862776292418232738

So with 2 successive launches from Vandenberg SLC-4E where the stream got delayed till after liftoff (this one at T+45 seconds), I have some (probably unverifiable) hypothesis:
1. There’s something around SLC-4E right now that must not be filmed
2. Something on board that would warrant not showing the initial parts of flight (through it would be hard to explain Starlink 9-13)
3. A new @SLDelta30 policy for certain (?) launches to be vague on launch times and showing pad

I wonder...

I suspect that all three speculations might have some truth to them. Let's see what happens in the next few launches from Vandenberg.

[catdlr]

Interesting speculation about VSFB:

https://x.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1862776292418232738

So with 2 successive launches from Vandenberg SLC-4E where the stream got delayed till after liftoff (this one at T+45 seconds), I have some (probably unverifiable) hypothesis:
1. There’s something around SLC-4E right now that must not be filmed
2. Something on board that would warrant not showing the initial parts of flight (through it would be hard to explain Starlink 9-13)
3. A new @SLDelta30 policy for certain (?) launches to be vague on launch times and showing pad

I wonder...

I suspect that all three speculations might have some truth to them. Let's see what happens in the next few launches from Vandenberg.

thespacecow and AmigaClone,
I have previously shared my speculation on social media regarding the situation. However, I do not believe that it is related to any nuclear activities, as those are conducted at North Base, whereas the commercial launch pads are situated at South Base. Nevertheless, my money is with #1: there may be some SpaceX-related activities at the pad that are intended to remain undisclosed. I concur that we should await a third launch or more launch attempts and, ideally, experience clear weather conditions to observe the ground from the Booster camera.  I'll work with someone I know who has access to satellite data.