VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. — In a bid to bolster national security and accommodate a rapidly expanding commercial space sector, the U.S. Space Force has officially opened the doors for a new player to build out a launch site on the West Coast.
The Space Force released a formal Request for Information (RFI) seeking expressions of interest from commercial launch providers to finance, design, and operate Space Launch Complex 9 (SLC-9). The proposed facility, located at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), is strictly reserved for small- and medium-class launch vehicles.
Interested operators face a tight deadline, with responses to the RFI due by July 8.
A Strategic Priority for Resilient Space Operations
The military’s push to develop SLC-9 underscores a shifting paradigm in national defense: transitioning away from total reliance on massive, expensive heavy-lift rockets toward an agile, rapidly deployable architecture of smaller satellites.
“The further development of small and medium launch capabilities at VSFB is a strategic priority, enhancing our resilience and agility in space operations…This RFI represents a significant opportunity for industry leaders to contribute to the growth of the U.S. space launch sector while supporting critical national security objectives.”
– Col. James Horne III, Commander of Space Launch Delta 30
The Space Force said in a statement it is offering the site to both promote the growth of the launch industry and meet “critical national security objectives.”
Premium Real Estate on the Western Range
SLC-9 is situated in the northern portion of the “South Base” area of Vandenberg, a region that already hosts most of the current launch facilities on the California coast.
- Proximity: The site is a short distance north of Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3), the historic pad used by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for the Atlas 5, which is currently undergoing upgrades to support ULA’s next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket.
- History: The site several years ago was linked to Blue Origin, which was considering developing a New Glenn launch site there. However, the company ended consideration of that facility and the Space Force announced it had entered negotiations with the company to establish a New Glenn launch site at SLC-14, another greenfield site in the southern part of the base near the coast.
Because Vandenberg allows rockets to launch directly southward over the Pacific Ocean, it remains the premier U.S. spaceport for placing satellites into high-inclination and polar orbits.
Strict Terms: Financial Muscle and High Maturity
The Space Force isn’t looking for paper rockets or early-stage startups. The RFI lays out stringent technical and financial baselines to ensure the winning bidder can execute quickly. According to the document, the military defines the targeted launch tiers based on payload capacity to Low Earth Orbit (LEO):
| Vehicle Class | Payload Capacity to LEO |
|---|---|
| Small Launch Vehicle | Less than 2,000 kilograms |
| Medium Launch Vehicle | 2,000 to 20,000 kilograms |
The RFI asks companies to demonstrate both “sufficient financial maturity” to fund development of launch facilities at SLC-9 and the “highest technical maturity” of the launch vehicle. The latter is defined as the ability to begin launch operations within three years of an agreement to use the launch site.
Beyond standard satellite deployment, the Space Force noted it is highly interested in advanced logistical capabilities. The RFI explicitly asks companies to detail whether their systems can support point-to-point cargo delivery, payload return, vehicle reuse, and enhanced operational “survivability.”
Evaluating the Field: Who Will Step Up?
The explicit focus on small and medium lifters limits the pool of potential users of the site, especially given the aggressive three-year operational timeline.
- Firefly Aerospace: An obvious candidate, Firefly currently uses another Vandenberg launch pad (SLC-2) for its Alpha small launch vehicle. However, Firefly is actively developing the Eclipse medium-class vehicle in partnership with Northrop Grumman, and a dedicated West Coast pad could firmly secure its medium-lift pipeline.
- Relativity Space & Stoke Space: Both companies are building medium-class launch vehicles. While both have focused initial infrastructure plans on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, they may be highly interested in a Vandenberg pad to capture high-inclination and polar orbit missions.
- Rocket Lab: The company currently operates the small Electron rocket and is actively developing the medium-class Neutron rocket. However, Rocket Lab has not yet publicly discussed Neutron launches outside its existing facilities in New Zealand and Virginia.
It remains unclear whether other early-stage vehicle developers would meet the strict financial and technical maturity requirements the Space Force has mandated in the RFI.
Easing the Strain on America’s Spaceports
The announcement about SLC-9 comes amid growing industry concerns about launch demand straining capacity at both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral. Massive launch cadences have led to intense scheduling congestion, prompting widespread interest in alternative commercial spaceports as well as sea-based launch platforms.
The Space Force is keenly aware of this bottleneck. The RFI states that a key evaluation criterion will be how the proposed users of SLC-9 plan to mitigate operational impacts on other launch facilities at the base.
Additionally, applicants must detail how they will handle the development of any new infrastructure required beyond the launch site itself, such as base roads and utilities.
