SpaceportDB

Active 🇺🇸United States

Space Launch Complex 3E

A launch pad at Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.55 launches have flown from it since July 1961, 43 of 48 successfully.

Launches
55
Success rate
89.6% 43/48
Failures
5
First flight
1961-07-12
Latest flight
2022-11-10
Busiest year
1966 4 flights
Fastest turnaround
32d 16h 54m

Location

Space Launch Complex 3E

Pad record

Coordinates
34.6400° N
120.5895° W
Map
Open in Google Maps
Status
Active
Spaceport
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Country
United States
Pad operator
United States Air Force
LL2 pad tally
48 upstream count
Reference
Wikipedia

About this pad

SLC-3E is a launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base. It was originally built for the MIDAS program and later used for various other missions. After a period of inactivity, it was refurbished in the early 2000s to launch Atlas V rockets. The pad is now being upgraded to accommodate the new Vulcan Centaur rocket. The last Atlas V launch from SLC-3E happened in November 2022, with the first Vulcan launch expected in 2025.

Who launches from here

2 operators
United Launch Alliance 24Lockheed Martin 3

Vehicles flown

13 types
Atlas V 401 11Atlas Agena B 9Vulcan 7Atlas F/SVS 6Atlas H 5Atlas IIAS 3Atlas SLV-3 3Atlas SLV-3 Agena D 3Atlas V 411 2Atlas V 501 2Atlas V 541 2Atlas Burner 2 1Atlas E/SVS 1

Launches per year

decided flights
1961Peak 1966, 4 launches2022

Orbits delivered

8 destinations
Low Earth Orbit 12Medium Earth Orbit 11Polar Orbit 9Sun-Synchronous Orbit 7Unknown 4Elliptical Orbit 3Suborbital 3Heliocentric N/A 1

Scheduled

7 undecided
DateMissionVehicleOperatorOrbitOutcome
2026-12-31Vulcan | USSF-114VulcanUnited Launch AllianceUnknownScheduled
2026-12-31Vulcan | SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer BVulcanUnited Launch AlliancePolar OrbitScheduled
2026-12-31Vulcan | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer BVulcanUnited Launch AlliancePolar OrbitScheduled
2026-12-31Vulcan | NROL-73VulcanUnited Launch AllianceUnknownScheduled
2026-12-31Vulcan | NROL-100VulcanUnited Launch AllianceUnknownScheduled
2026-12-31Vulcan | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer DVulcanUnited Launch AlliancePolar OrbitScheduled
2026-12-31Vulcan | NROL-83VulcanUnited Launch AllianceUnknownScheduled

Excluded from every count and rate above. Dates are as recorded at the last build, when the most recent decided flight was 2022-11-10.

Flight record

48 flights
DateMissionVehicleOperatorOrbitOutcome
2022-11-10Atlas V 401 | JPSS 2 (Joint Polar Satellite System spacecraft No. 2) & LOFTIDAtlas V 401United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2021-09-27Atlas V 401 | Landsat 9Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2018-05-05Atlas V 401 | InSight, Mars Cube One 1 & Mars Cube One 2Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceHeliocentric N/ASuccess
2017-09-24Atlas V 541 | NROL-42Atlas V 541United Launch AllianceElliptical OrbitSuccess
2017-03-01Atlas V 401 | NROL-79Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2016-11-11Atlas V 401 | WorldView-4Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2015-10-08Atlas V 401 | NROL-55 (Multipayload mission)Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2014-12-13Atlas V 541 | NROL-35 (USA-259)Atlas V 541United Launch AllianceElliptical OrbitSuccess
2014-08-13Atlas V 401 | WorldView-3Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2014-04-03Atlas V 401 | DMSP-5D3 F19Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2013-12-06Atlas V 501 | NROL-39 (USA-247)Atlas V 501United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2013-02-11Atlas V 401 | Landsat 8 (DCM)Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2012-09-13Atlas V 401 | NROL-36 (Multipayload mission)Atlas V 401United Launch Alliance–Success
2011-04-15Atlas V 411 | NROL-34 (2 x NOSS (USA-229))Atlas V 411United Launch Alliance–Success
2010-09-21Atlas V 501 | NROL-41 (USA-215)Atlas V 501United Launch AllianceSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2009-10-18Atlas V 401 | DMSP-5D3 F18 (USA-210)Atlas V 401United Launch AllianceLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2008-03-13Atlas V 411 | NROL-28 (USA-200)Atlas V 411United Launch AllianceElliptical OrbitSuccess
2003-12-02Atlas IIAS | NROL-18Atlas IIASLockheed MartinLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2001-09-08Atlas IIAS | NROL-13Atlas IIASLockheed MartinLow Earth OrbitSuccess
1999-12-18Atlas IIAS | TerraAtlas IIASLockheed MartinPolar OrbitSuccess
1987-05-15Atlas H | Parcae 9A,B,C & MSD 9Atlas H–Low Earth OrbitSuccess
1986-02-09Atlas H | Parcae 8A,B,C & MSD 8Atlas H–Low Earth OrbitSuccess
1984-02-05Atlas H | Parcae 7A,B,C & MSD 7Atlas H–Low Earth OrbitSuccess
1983-06-09Atlas H | Parcae 6A,B,C & MSD 6Atlas H–Low Earth OrbitSuccess
1983-02-09Atlas H | Parcae 5A,B,C & MSD 5Atlas H–Low Earth OrbitSuccess
1981-12-19Atlas E/SVS | Navstar 7Atlas E/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitFailure
1980-04-26Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 6Atlas F/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1980-02-09Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 5Atlas F/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1978-12-11Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 4Atlas F/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1978-10-07Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 3Atlas F/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1978-05-13Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 2Atlas F/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1978-02-22Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 1Atlas F/SVS–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1968-08-16Atlas Burner 2 | UVRAtlas Burner 2–Low Earth OrbitFailure
1967-04-20Atlas SLV-3 | PRIME 3Atlas SLV-3–SuborbitalSuccess
1967-03-05Atlas SLV-3 | PRIME 2Atlas SLV-3–SuborbitalSuccess
1966-12-21Atlas SLV-3 | PRIME 1Atlas SLV-3–SuborbitalSuccess
1966-10-05Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | RTS-1 3Atlas SLV-3 Agena D–Polar OrbitSuccess
1966-08-19Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | RTS-1 2Atlas SLV-3 Agena D–Polar OrbitSuccess
1966-06-09Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | RTS-1 1Atlas SLV-3 Agena D–Polar OrbitSuccess
1963-07-19Atlas Agena B | Midas 9Atlas Agena B–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1963-06-12Atlas Agena B | Midas 8Atlas Agena B–Medium Earth OrbitFailure
1963-05-09Atlas Agena B | Midas 7Atlas Agena B–Medium Earth OrbitSuccess
1962-12-17Atlas Agena B | Midas 6Atlas Agena B–Medium Earth OrbitFailure
1962-04-09Atlas Agena B | Midas 5Atlas Agena B–Polar OrbitSuccess
1962-03-07Atlas Agena B | Samos 6Atlas Agena B–Polar OrbitSuccess
1961-12-22Atlas LV-3A | Samos 5Atlas Agena B––Partial failure
1961-10-21Atlas LV-3A | MIDAS 4 & Westford-1Atlas Agena B––Success
1961-07-12Atlas LV-3A | MIDAS 3Atlas Agena B––Success

Pad records from Launch Library 2. Flights and company identity fromSpace Index. How the numbers are derived.