Talk:Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4

Context for the "east" and "west" pads of Launch Complex 4
With two launch pads at Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4, this article could definitely use a diagram or map that lays out the relative locations, with respect to the entire AFB and especidally with respect to the coastline. Adding a reqmap tag. N2e (talk) 23:28, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Photos of the Vandenberg SpaceX launch complex
Two years after the construction got underway, there are finally some photos on the internet of the SpaceX launch complex. From NewSpace Watch:
 * Pictures of SpaceX Vandenberg launch complex


 * February 12 2013 11:00:22 PM |                               by Clark Lindsey, Managing Editor


 * A reader points me to this gallery of images of the SpaceX facility at Vandenberg: Photos: first look/SpaceX Launch Complex/Vandenberg AFB – LA Daily News Media Center."

—Cheers. N2e (talk) 00:22, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

List of Launches
I compiled a list of all launches from SLC-4W. First I had to take into consideration the name change. But more importantly, the list is so extensive that it should probably go into a separate page, probably including the SLC-4E launches on a separate list in the same page. But then, I compiled that list from this site's own Titan launch list. So I wonder if there's really a need for that. And if it is correct to use the old names for the pads on such list. Help? baldusi (talk) 01:35, 10 May 2015 (UTC)


 * —That's a good question, and thanks for doing the work to compile the more complete list! It's great when folks work to make the encyclopedia better.


 * On your substantive questions, I'm not quite sure on the question about whether there is a "need" for that. But I'm an economist so tend to always throw out the oftentimes-too-simple "need" analytic in favor of the question of at what cost, and what "sacrifice" to the individual making the "economic choice", can we gain some additional marginal benefit.  I suspect there is some benefit to having "the encyclopedia of all knowledge" that Wikipedia attempts to be have a list of all the launches from the Vandenberg LC4 pad; the question is is any wiki-volunteer willing to incur the cost to do the work?  ... and would that work be left intact by other editors over the mid to long term?  I think the answer to that last question is 'yes', if the work is cited with reliable sources.


 * On the question of having that list in this article, or some other, my view is that you can, but you need not, make the decision now. If, for example, you update the list in this article, and it is subsequently determined that this article is too long, or that the list overwhelms the article, then we can quite easily hive off the launch list into a List of launches... article of some sort and just link to it from a section with a summary in this article.


 * So thanks again for doing good work. I hope my perspective might be helpful in you deciding what you will choose to do with your list.  Cheers.  N2e (talk) 12:58, 10 May 2015 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the work done on expanding the list, keeping such extensive table in Collapsible format is always a nice practice. And Yes, a separate article by the name List of launches... would be better with few more parameters. Would also appreciate if Upcoming launches from the launch site would be added. - Ninney (talk) 13:37, 10 May 2015 (UTC)


 * —Ok. I've seen how you do collapsible lists and I like it. Thanks.Baldusi (talk) 02:50, 11 May 2015 (UTC)baldusi (talk) 02:45, 11 May 2015 (UTC)


 * —I'm an economist myself so you don't need to explain it your self. Thanks for your explanation.Baldusi (talk) 02:50, 11 May 2015 (UTC)baldusi (talk) 02:46, 11 May 2015 (UTC)

As you can see, I've redone the SLC-4W list, and added the historical SLC-4E and the Upcoming Launches lists. Both required quite a bit of work. Even though I worked just taking the relevant info from the launch vehicles respective lists, there was a marked lack of consistency. Each vehicle use different information, the columns are arranged differently, the date information is formated differently (like titan uses words and Atlas ISO format), and they even differ in such minutiae as the use of "successful" or "success" for Mision Result. The work is exhausting to do if you want to keep the Wikipedia formatting and data, like cites, Wiki references, formatting, etc. It is well beyond my skills, but some way to quickly cull large data sets would be needed. But I digress. I understand that for some formatting a separate list would be nice. But the fact is that this is the article of this pad, and all this info is already on multiple lists, even here on Wikipedia. To add new articles I believe it would be counter productive. And the collapsible tables are a very nice feature. If I can have any say, I would rather leave those inline. Specially the Upcomming Launches. BTW, I still have to convert some of the SLC-4W dates to ISO. Is there any tool to do so? Silly last question, even for talk do you have to insert the user and such manually? Baldusi (talk) 02:50, 11 May 2015 (UTC)baldusi (talk) 02:50, 11 May 2015 (UTC)

I've been thinking, when and if there's a landing at SLC-4W, I will start a collapsible list of rocket landings. It would give it some symmetry to the launching list of SLC-4E. (talk) 09:35, 22 May 2015 (UTC)baldusi

Order of the Pads
Currently the article lists SLC-4W first, and SLC-4E second. Since the former is being transformed into a landing pad, and the latter is an active pad which includes an Upcoming Launches section, I believe that the most natural way for the article would be with the pad order inverted. If nobody has any objections I am going to do this swap in a few days. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Baldusi (talk • contribs) 21:35, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

Uncontrolled wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base, threatens SpaceX and ULA launch pads
"The escalating wildfire at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base grew even larger Monday despite the round-the-clock efforts of firefighters trying to bring the blaze under control before it threatens United Launch Alliance and SpaceX launch pads used by Atlas 5, Delta 4 and Falcon 9 rockets.
 * Uncontrolled wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base continues to rage, 20 Sep 2016, SpaceflightNow.

Firefighters on the ground and in the air have been battling for days to gain control of the fire, which was 18 percent contained Tuesday morning and had consumed 10,542 acres. South Base is home to several active launch pads — Space Launch Complex 3-East where the Atlas 5 currently stands, Space Launch Complex 4 where 10 Iridium mobile communications satellites are being prepped for a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch and Space Launch Complex 6 where United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rockets are flown.

The Iridium satellites were shipped to Vandenberg from their Arizona factory to be readied for launch, but that flight is on hold due to the Falcon 9 rocket explosion at Cape Canaveral earlier this month. The fire has been classed a “high priority” fight by Vandenberg, U.S. Forestry Service, CalFire and Santa Barbara County firefighters due to the assets on South Base.

But the fire moved towards the southern base boundary and the Sudden Ranch area on Monday morning. By the afternoon, officials said it was expanding in all directions. Difficult terrain made direct fights against the flames a challenge. Infrared mapping flight conducted early Monday shows the state of the fire then. Infrared mapping flight conducted late Monday shows the growth of the fire. SLC-3, -4, -6 and -8 can be seen from top to bottom. ... The fire has severed power to several facilities on South Base, requiring generator power to kick in. ... Extremely dry vegetation and warm temperatures are fueling the fire. It began in an area that had not burned in nearly 40 years, making the drought-stricken area ripe for the blaze."


 * 3D map of the fire in relation to the launch pads. N2e (talk) 18:26, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

SpaceX landing pad
When is the first landing planned? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.60.228.193 (talk) 16:22, 5 August 2017 (UTC)


 * SpaceX made a landing in 2018 :) Sorry if I sound like I'm complaining. Thanks for your help! OkayKenji (talk)  —Preceding undated comment added 04:36, 11 February 2019 (UTC)

Do we need a Launch Site columns at all?
Since the launch history is divided by launch sites SLC-4E and SLC-4W, the Launch Site columns look pretty meaningless. I'd remove them, unless someone has an argument against this radical move. Igor Krein (talk) 09:27, 12 January 2019 (UTC)
 * The whole article is a little out of date and sparse. I would move the charts into their respective sections personally. Are you suggesting to remove the charts for clarification? UnknownM1 (talk) 13:52, 12 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I've suggested something else, but you're right, the charts should be moved to launch sites sections and the Launch history section should be killed. Igor Krein (talk) 15:55, 12 January 2019 (UTC)
 * ✅ Igor Krein (talk) 08:14, 2 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Looks good! Should this and some of the other launch pad articles be beefed up with a little more detail in the text, if we're going down this route of improvement? UnknownM1 (talk) 18:33, 2 February 2019 (UTC)

About the Landing Pad
There is already an article about SpaceX's landing pads (LZ-1 and LZ-2). Anyone else think we should move the landing pad information about LZ-4 from here and put it in that article? Landing Zones 1 and 2 OkayKenji (talk) 04:38, 11 February 2019 (UTC)


 * See Talk:Landing_Zones_1_and_2 Thanks for your help! OkayKenji (talk)  04:50, 11 February 2019 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
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