Dropping the hammerhead

VANDENBERG AIR FACE BASE, Calif. -- Construction crews began tearing down the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex-4 East in preparation for the Space Exploration Technologies Falcon Heavy mission here, Aug. 2, 2011. The Falcon Heavy, which is touted to be the most powerful vehicle in the world since the Saturn V moon rocket, is expected to have about four million pounds of thrust and the ability to carry payloads weighing more than 53 metric tons. (U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau)

Dropping the hammerhead

VANDENBERG AIR FACE BASE, Calif. -- Construction crews began tearing down the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex-4 East in preparation for the Space Exploration Technologies Falcon Heavy mission here, Aug. 2, 2011. The Falcon Heavy, which is touted to be the most powerful vehicle in the world since the Saturn V moon rocket, is expected to have about four million pounds of thrust and the ability to carry payloads weighing more than 53 metric tons. (U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau)

Vandenberg welcomes SpaceX

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Col. Richard Boltz, the 30th Space Wing commander, speaks during the ground breaking ceremony at Space Launch Complex 4 East here Wednesday, July 14, 2011. SpaceX has plans to launch their Falcon Heavy from Vandenberg in 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andrew Satran)

Vandenberg welcomes SpaceX

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Lompoc Mayor John Linn, speaks during the ground breaking ceremony at Space Launch Complex 4 East here Wednesday, July 14, 2011. SpaceX has plans to launch their Falcon Heavy from Vandenberg in 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andrew Satran)

Minuteman III burns through fog at Vandenberg

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Team Vandenberg launched an unarmed operational test Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at 6:35 a.m., Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from Launch Facility-10 here. The missile's single reentry test vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles to a pre-determined target near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joe Davila)

Team Vandenberg launches Delta II rocket

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Team Vandenberg launched a Delta II rocket carrying the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas) observatory from Space Launch Complex-2 here at 7:20 a.m. PDT Friday, June 10, 2011. The Aquarius/SAC-D observatory is a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency, Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE). Aquarius is the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, built by CONAE. Aquarius will map global changes in salinity -- the concentration of dissolved salt -- at the ocean surface. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Lael Huss)

Vandenberg's 4th Atlas V lifts off

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Team Vandenberg launched an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex-3 here April 14 at 9:24 p.m. PDT. It was the fourth Atlas V processed at Vandenberg and the 605th overall Atlas mission in U.S. history. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Lael Huss)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.

An Orbital Sciences Titan XL launched from Vandenberg pad 576E March 4 carrying a NASA payload. The launch proceeded as planned from its liftoff at 2:09 a.m. PST through the ignition of the Taurus XL's second stage. Telemetry indicated the fairing, a protective shell atop the rocket, did not separate as expected during the second stage engine burn. The Glory spacecraft likely fell into the Pacific Ocean. The Glory Earth-observinc satellite was intended to improve understanding o fhow the sun and tiny atmospheric particles affect Earth's climate. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Joe Davila)

Vandenberg to launch Taurus XL

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.--The Taurus XL rocket stands on pad 576-E during preparations for a Feb. 23 launch. The rocket will carry the spacecraft Glory into polar orbit for NASA.

Vandenberg launches Minotaur I

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Minotaur I rocket was launched from Space Launch Complex-8 here at 4:26 a.m. (PST) Feb. 6.The rocket carried a national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joe Davila)

Delta II COSMO - SkyMed 4

(Photo by Joe Davila)

Vandenberg launches Minotaur IV

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Team Vandenberg launched a Minotaur IV rocket at 9:41 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, from Space Launch Complex-8 here.The Minotaur IV launched the Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite, a first-of-its-kind satellite that can detect and track orbiting space objects from space. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Lee)

Vandenberg conducts Minuteman III flight test

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - A scheduled Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test was launched at 3:40 a.m. June 30 from Launch Facility-04 here. ICBM analysts, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, will use the data collected to ensure the readiness and capability of the ICBM fleet. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joe Davila)

Vandenberg launches ground-based interceptor

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Rick Winer, an Orbital electrical engineer, and his son Joshua, view the launch of a ground-based interceptor at Vandenberg’s Ronald Reagan Memorial site Sunday, June 6, 2010. This was the first missile defense program launch from Vandenberg's Launch Facility 24, which was recently upgraded to support missile defense testing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Satran)

Delta II

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A Delta II launches here. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Delta IV Heavy

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With great poise, James Boyle, the Space Launch Complex-6 site manager, talks to the media about the Delta IV Heavy here Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The Delta IV is scheduled to launch in December 2010. The Delta IV Heavy will be the largest rocket to ever launch from Vandenberg. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee)

Vandenberg launches GBI

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Awaiting the launch of a ground-based interceptor, crowds gathered at the Ronald W. Reagan Memorial Site here Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. The launch was part of the 30th Space Wing and Missile Defense Agency's scheduled test of the ground-based interceptor system. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Angelina Drake)

Vandenberg launches GBI

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Ascending through the cloud of fire and smoke, a ground-based interceptor launched at approximately 3:45 p.m. here Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. The launch was part of the 30th Space Wing and Missile Defense Agency's scheduled test of the ground-based interceptor system. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Angelina Drake)

NASA WISE Delta II launch successful

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Vandenberg launched a Delta II rocket Monday, Dec. 14, 2009, from Space Launch Complex 2 here. The rocket carried NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Satran)

Vandenberg's LWO's keep their eyes sky high

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Capt. Andrew Frey, a 30th Weather Squadron launch weather officer, is preparing for a lead role as a LWO for Vandenberg’s next scheduled launch. Vandenberg's LWO's next big task is a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket scheduled for liftoff from Space Launch Complex-2 Dec. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee)

Heavy lifting

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- United Launch Alliance workers prepare to hoist a Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite for emplacement onto an ULA Delta II rocket. The satellite will observe the entire sky in mid-infrared wavelengths with greater sensitivity than ever before. The rocket is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-2 on Dec. 9. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mark P. Mackely)

Heavy lifting

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- United Launch Alliance workers hoist a Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite for emplacement onto an ULA Delta II rocket. The satellite will observe the entire sky in mid-infrared wavelengths with greater sensitivity than ever before. The rocket is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-2 on Dec. 9. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mark P. Mackely)

Launch preparations

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- United Luanch Alliance workers place a solid rocket motor on a Delta II rocket. The Delta II rocket will launch NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite, which will observe the entire sky in mid-infrared wavelengths with greater sensitivity than ever before. (Courtesy photo/Mark P. Mackley)

Atlas V launch successful

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- A United Launch Alliance Atlas V carrying the Air Force's Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F18 mission lifts off from Space Launch Complex-3 here at 9:12 a.m. Despite a foggy day, the Atlas V flawlessly delivered DMSP F18 successfully to its assigned orbit after an 18 minute flight. (United Launch Alliance photo/Pat Corkery)