Blue Origin’s lease application for future launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base approved
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (KEYT) – Blue Origin has been selected to continue its application for a lease allowing heavy or super-heavy vertical space launches from Vandenberg SFB.
Blue Origin, founded by billionaire and executive chairman of Amazon Jeff Bezos, is a private space-focused company headquartered in Kent, Washington.
In January of last year, the company successfully completed the inaugural launch of its heavy rocket, the New Glenn from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36.
The 320-foot tall rocket's first stage is designed for a minimum of 25 flights and is named after Ohio-native John Herschel Glenn Jr., the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Project Mercury's Friendship 7 capsule on Feb. 20, 1962.
The New Glenn rocket has only launched from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 36 which was built by Blue Origin at a cost of over $1 billion and completed in 2021.
For future launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Blue Origin's lease is for Space Launch Complex-14 at the southernmost point of the local spaceport shared the Space Force Base.
Before any construction at Space Launch Complex-14 can begin, safety assessments and environmental impact analysis still must be completed noted Vandenberg SFB.
Most current launches are from Space Launch Complex-4 (SLC-4).
Competitor SpaceX is further along in its preparations for future heavy rocket launches from the local spaceport and the competing company shared its intention to continue to use a roll-on-roll-off barge towed from Long Beach to Vandenberg's Harbor to transport its first-stage boosters for each launch.
A final environmental impact statement was issued in October of last year for the planned construction at Space Launch Complex-6 to accomodate the Falcon 9 Heavy.
"SLC-14 is considered the most viable site at VSFB for heavy and super-heavy launch operations due to its location," explained Vandenberg Space Force Base in a press release Tuesday likely with an eye towards the location of the VSFB Harbor and access to southern portions of the base where SLC-14 will be located. "The timeline for increased launch activity will depend on the completion of the safety and environmental analysis and subsequent infrastructure development."
"Expanding launch operations at Vandenberg is expected to create jobs, drive economic growth, enhance the region's role in assured access to space and increase national security," the U.S. Space Force added.
New Glenn's reusable first-stage section has returned to a landing platform much like the Falcon 9 boosters currently launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
A depiction of the New Glenn's launch sequence is shown in the image below.
Blue Origin is also developing its first super-heavy rocket, the New Glenn 9X4.
The still-in-development launch platform is almost 400 feet tall and its reusable first-stage section will generate 50 percent more thrust than the current New Glenn first stage.
"The down-selection of Blue Origin to continue in the process for final determination of a lease at SLC-14 represents a critical milestone at the Vandenberg Spaceport," said USSF Col. James Horne III, commander of SLD 30 at Vandenberg SFB. "By taking the next steps to further develop heavy and super-heavy space launch capabilities at SLC-14, we’re continuing to unleash our capacity to execute full-spectrum space operations for the nation."
