As Vice President of the Western Region for the Space Force Association (SFA), I’m calling for urgent investment in policies and partnerships that will enable Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) to increase its launch cadence.
Vandenberg is the United States’ critical gateway to polar and sun-synchronous orbits, supporting everything from national security reconnaissance to commercial Earth observation. But as demand for these missions grows, our launch infrastructure on the West Coast must evolve.
Increasing launch cadence at VSFB is not optional. It’s essential to maintain assured access to space, deter adversaries and sustain U.S. leadership in a rapidly evolving global domain. While attention often focuses on Florida’s launch sites, Vandenberg’s unique role cannot be overlooked.
Investing in infrastructure
Years of limited investment have left Vandenberg with outdated facilities that were not designed for the modern, high-tempo operations that have come to define today’s space operations. The U.S. military should invest in upgrading launch pads, payload processing facilities and range systems. This investment is critical to the U.S. to maintain space superiority.
Such modernization would enable simultaneous operations and faster turnaround times. It would support both government and commercial users, creating the flexible, resilient launch capacity needed to respond to crises or rapidly replenish space systems in the face of threats.
Streamlining policy and regulation
Infrastructure alone won’t solve the problem. We also need policy reforms such as modernizing the FAA licensing process. We can achieve this by expanding the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation’s staffing and digital capabilities to provide rapid, transparent timelines for license issuance and modification. Having this policy in place can ensure licensing processes keep pace with launch demand, especially for reusable and responsive launch systems.
You can also implement a tiered environmental review framework. A tiered NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) approach where frequent or similar launch operations can qualify for a “programmatic environmental review” or “categorical exclusion. This will avoid repeating lengthy environmental assessments for routine or previously reviewed missions while maintaining environmental protections.
Those are a few policy ideas that will make it easier to schedule launches, coordinate between agencies and ensure environmental stewardship without unnecessary delays.
A streamlined, modern regulatory framework will enable more frequent, predictable launches while maintaining safety and protecting the environment.
Leveraging public-private partnerships
The military can’t do this alone. The commercial sector has revolutionized launch economics and technology, and partnering with industry is essential.
By fostering public-private partnerships, we can:
- Share costs and infrastructure improvements.
- Align government needs with commercial capabilities.
- Build a stronger, more resilient launch industrial base.
These partnerships create jobs, strengthen the local economy and ensure the U.S. remains competitive in the global space market.
Economic and community benefits
Increasing launch cadence at Vandenberg isn’t just a national security priority. It’s an economic opportunity for California’s Central Coast.
Expanded operations will create high-skill, high-wage jobs on and off base, support local businesses and attract new investment to the region. It will sustain a talented workforce and provide opportunities for the next generation of guardians, engineers and entrepreneurs.
A strategic imperative
Adversaries are investing heavily in counter-space capabilities. The ability to launch quickly and flexibly from multiple locations is essential to deterrence and operational readiness.
A modernized, high-cadence Vandenberg will give the U.S. the strategic flexibility it needs to outpace threats and ensure space remains a secure and stable domain.
These steps will transform Vandenberg into the agile launch hub our nation needs. The SFA-Western Region stands ready to support this vital mission.
Brent Page is known for delivering impactful communications that advance critical counterspace and special access capabilities. He is also the Western Region Vice President of the Space Force Association.
SpaceNews is committed to publishing our community’s diverse perspectives. Whether you’re an academic, executive, engineer or even just a concerned citizen of the cosmos, send your arguments and viewpoints to opinion@spacenews.com to be considered for publication online or in our next magazine.The perspectives shared in these op-eds are solely those of the authors.