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Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3) was the first launch platform for the Atlas rocket system. SLC-3 consists of two pads, -3E and -3W, and was built in the early 1960s. Unlike Cape Canaveral, which uses a North-South coastline to make over-ocean launches into standard orbits, the East-West coastline at Vandenburg allows SLC-3 to launch over-ocean polar trajectories that avoid landfall until passing over Antarctica.
As of 2003, SLC-3E was targeted for overhaul to serve as a launch platform for the Atlas 5 rocket after plans to build two Delta 4 launch platforms were put on hold[1].
- ↑ Vandenburg's Atlas Launchpad Getting Extensive Facelift. Retrieved on August 15, 2005.
[edit] See also
| Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Sites |
| SLC-1 | SLC-2 | SLC-3 | SLC-4 | SLC-5 | SLC-6 | SLC-8 | SLC-10 |
| LC-394 | LC-395 | LC-4300 | LC-576 | LC-75 | ABRES | BMRS | Bomarc | CLF | HP-06 | LE-6 | LE-7 | LE-8 | LF-02 | LF-03 | LF-04 | LF-05 | LF-06 | LF-07 | LF-08 | LF-09 | LF-10 | LF-21 | LF-22 | LF-23 | LF-24 | LF-25 | LF-26 | OSTF | PLC-C | SLTF | TP-01 |
| Runway 12/30 | Point Arguello Warning Area Drop Zone | Western Test Range |
