Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 1

Space Launch Complex 1 (SLC-1) is an inactive launch complex at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It consists of two pads, SLC-1E (formerly Pad 75-3-5) and SLC-1W (formerly Pad 75-3-4). Both sites were built in 1958 for the never activated 75th Strategic Missile Squadron for launches of the Thor-Agena to support the CORONA series of reconnaissance satellites for the CIA. Under the masquerade of the Discoverer program, SLC-1 served as the launch site of numerous firsts for spaceflight, such as the first satellite in polar orbit with Discoverer 2, the first recovery of an object from orbit with Discoverer 13, and the first recovery of film from orbit with Discoverer 14. SLC-1 continued to launch various spy satellites such as the KH-4 for the Department of Defense throughout the 1960s, following the transfer of vehicle operations from the CIA to the National Reconnaissance Office. During the mid-60s, as part of the phasing out of the Thor-Agena, both pads were modified to launch the succeeding Thorad-Agena throughout the end of the decade. Ultimately, thanks to the KH-4 getting replaced by the larger KH-9 and KH-11 as well as the pads' proximity to the more actively used Space Launch Complex 2, SLC-1 eventually saw the end of active service by the 1970s, and have since been disused.

Space Launch Complex 1

Thorad-Agena at SLC-1W in December 1971, carrying various Poppy sattelites
Launch site	Vandenberg Space Force Base
Time zone	UTC−08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Short name	SLC-1
Operator	United States Space Force
Launch pad(s)	Two
SLC-1W launch history Status Inactive Launches 56 First launch 21 January 1959 Thor-Agena A Last launch 14 December 1971 Thorad SLV-2G Agena D / OPS 7898 Associated rockets Thor-Agena Thorad-Agena SLC-1E launch history Status Inactive Launches 45 First launch 25 June 1959 Thor-Agena A / Discoverer 4 Last launch 18 September 1968 Thorad SLV-2G Agena D / OPS 8595 KH-4 Associated rockets Thor-Agena Thorad-Agena

Launch statistics

SLC-1W

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1960

1965

1970

•   Thor-Agena
•   Thorad-Agena

SLC-1E

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

•   Thor-Agena
•   Thorad-Agena

References

• Wade, Mark. "Vandenberg SLC-1E". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on September 9, 2010. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
• Wade, Mark. "Vandenberg SLC-1W". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on September 9, 2010. Retrieved 2008-09-28.