areas near Vandenberg AFB (California)

Going north from Lompoc to Santa Maria, one passes right by Vandenberg AFB. Not far from the main areas of the base, there are several large buildings, on both sides of the street. Roads leading to these areas have 'use of deadly force authorized' signs at them. At night, you can see tons of lights in the base, and in a valley area at the base....but at these other buildings, there is normally just a single light, which makes me wonder if activities are underground. I've speculated for a while about what goes on in these other areas, as they're guarded by armed guards (I had the unfortunate experience of seeing one at night, when I was merely needing to turn around).

So my question is this: does anyone here have any details/information about what goes on here, and what they're trying to hide? Thanks.

Originally posted by rocket lad
Going north from Lompoc to Santa Maria, one passes right by Vandenberg AFB. Not far from the main areas of the base, there are several large buildings, on both sides of the street. Roads leading to these areas have 'use of deadly force authorized' signs at them. At night, you can see tons of lights in the base, and in a valley area at the base....but at these other buildings, there is normally just a single light, which makes me wonder if activities are underground. I've speculated for a while about what goes on in these other areas, as they're guarded by armed guards (I had the unfortunate experience of seeing one at night, when I was merely needing to turn around).

So my question is this: does anyone here have any details/information about what goes on here, and what they're trying to hide? Thanks.

What road are you talking about? Hwy 1? Nothing anywhere near Highway 1 has anything "important" going on. Due to the heavy traffic (and often hostile protestors) security does keep a strong presense.

Much farther inside the base there are buildings where they store ICBM's (with no warheads) for the peoridic tests on the base. These are extremely well guarded. There is also Cook Tracking Station on the top of the hill. This place does have very tight security (it is part of a global network of tracking stations used to communicate with sattelites - they are "important" to national security).

Also, many of the space launch complexes have very tight security - primarily due to the huge cost of the vehicles and sattelites.

All in all, VAFB has very little "secret" stuff going on - and has no underground complexes.

actually, it's not highway 1. its 135, i believe.

Originally posted by rocket lad
actually, it's not highway 1. its 135, i believe.

Hwy 135 never actually enters the base (or gets close to any buildings), and I don't believe it goes through Lompoc either...

Are you talking about what connects H street in Lompoc and Broadway in Santa Maria (Hwy 135 does join Hwy 1, but just south of Santa Maria)...

yeah

like, from lompoc, you come to this intersection in front of V. AFB. you can go straight (which i think leads to housing), or take a right toward santa maria.

Vandenburg is where the NMD (or "Star Wars") is being tested from. They fire their ICBM's (usually "Peacekeepers") from there, and shoot them down (HA!) over the Western Pacific. Palau etc.

I've been talking about it recently (with a bloke hwo has worked on USA Missile Systems - "Ivan Seeking") on the Physics Forum;
Look!
www.physicsforums.com...

Originally posted by Ixataar
Vandenburg is where the NMD (or "Star Wars") is being tested from. They fire their ICBM's (usually "Peacekeepers") from there, and shoot them down (HA!) over the Western Pacific. Palau etc.

Don't forget the radar range on the island of Kauai. Wait, maybe thats were we are storing all the nukes

Vandenburg is a USAF Space Command base. They launch spy satellites from that location... and test other ballistic rockets from time to time.

So... all the security you noted would be appropriate for a base that houses advanced spy satellites prior to their launch.

That being said, i wouldn't be surprised if calssified US spacecraft are also tested from that location -- manned and unmanned. I've read somewhere -- sorry, i didn't do research before writing my reply -- that more than half of the American space effort is funded through black projects.

Hes probally referring to the Satillite Downlink Facility, one of the Telemetry sites, or the 30th Weather Squadron.

If these signs are posted then there is something very sensitive being stored there. All of the spy birds for space and the missle test range would seem to be reason enough for the deadly force signs.

to clarify:

Most bases have the deadly force signs. Nothing to get all paranoid about. Vandenberg has a lot of things that are not known for obvious reasons. The base owns a lot of land.

The Blue Cube at onizuka afs has some cool stuff too.

Vandenberg AFB is the main launch site for classified military payloads going into space. The base is home to the USAF space command's Titan launch complex. This is where the US Air Force launches spy satellites for the NRO and NSA. The site is also used to lanch weapon satellites, such as the ones that were part of the SDI "Star Wars" program. So there are many secret areas in the launch complex.

Tim
ATS Director of Counter-Ignorance

Its Vandenberg. The Use of deadly force is authorized signs are present on the security fencing (with motion sensors and bright lights) around the 3 secure facilities on base. The satilate downlink facilities as well as Boeings VAB next door to 1655. Vandenberg is also the launch site for payloads that need to be in a polar orbit, some of which are classified payloads.