Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 3W has witnessed the launch of 81 rockets, including 81 orbital launch attempts, while Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA, has been the site for 757 rocket launches, with a tally of 19 booster landings recorded.

SLC-3W was originally built for Atlas-Agena launches and the first flight off the pad was the launch of Samos 1 on October 11, 1960. The facility was extensively damaged 11 months later when Samos 3’s booster exploded on the pad, but it was repaired quickly and hosted its next launch slightly under two months afterwards.

In 1962-63, the pad was converted for Thor-Agena use and was the primary launching site for Corona reconnaissance satellites for the next decade. After the Corona program ended in 1972, SLC-3W was converted back to support Atlases, this time flights of refurbished Atlas E/F missiles. The final such launch took place in 1995.

SpaceX initially planned to use SLC-3W for the Falcon 1 launch vehicle but switched to SLC-4E with Falcon 9.