Northern Santa Barbara County’s Vandenberg Air Force Base is home to the 30th Space Wing and Air Force Space Command, tasked with placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast and providing launch facilities to businesses such as SpaceX. While Vandenberg does not offer viewing opportunities on the property, the SLO CAL coastline provides a perfect sightline for most launches. Only approved personnel are allowed inside Vandenberg, making it nearly impossible to see an actual launchpad. So put your energy into finding a place to see it once it is already airborne in SLO CAL!
PREPARE AND ISOLATE LIKE AN ASTRONAUT
For those traveling from out of town, space launch schedules are only determined safe by many uncontrollable factors, such as the weather, which can also affect local views. Please be flexible with your planning, you never know when a delay will occur and you never know how quickly the base will reschedule! We recommend staying for a few days just in case; there is lots to do in SLO CAL to fill the rest of your time!
As SLO CAL opens safely we encourage everyone to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines like social distancing protocol, mask wearing and personal hygiene.
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