Space Launch Complex 5 was a launch pad

Launch pad

A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....

 at Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....

 in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It was previously part of the Point Arguello

Point Arguello

Point Arguello is a headland used as a launch site by the United States Navy. Point Arguello was first used in 1959 for the launch of military and sounding rockets. It was transferred to the United States Air Force in 1964, at which time it became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base.There were 6...

 Naval Air Station, during which time it was designated Launch Complex D or LC-D. Constructed in 1961, it was used by 69 Scout

Scout (rocket)

The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages....

 rockets between 1962 and 1994. Satellites launched from the complex included Transit

Transit (satellite)

The TRANSIT system, also known as NAVSAT , was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S...

, OV3, Explorer

Explorer program

The Explorer program is a United States space exploration program that provides flight opportunities for physics, heliophysics, and astrophysics investigations from space. Over 90 space missions have been launched from 1958 to 2011, and it is still active...

 and P35 spacecraft. Most of the satellites launched from SLC-5 were placed into low Earth orbit

Low Earth orbit

A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...

s, or low medium Earth orbit

Medium Earth Orbit

Medium Earth orbit , sometimes called intermediate circular orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit ....

s.

As of 2009, the complex is still standing, however the US Air Force is considering demolishing it to salvage parts. If the complex is dismantled, there are plans to produce a Historical American Engineering Record of the site, and to preserve the tower.

SLC-5 launches

Date	Nickname	Op #	Payload	Notes
26 April 1962	Blue Scout I V-112	9201	GRAB Galactic Radiation and Background Galactic Radiation and Background was the covername for Project Dyno ELINT intelligence satellites operated by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory shortly after the Cold War U-2 incident of 1960...
23 May 1962	Blue Scout II V-117	1201	DMSP Block-1	Failure - 2nd stage exploded
23 August 1962	Blue Scout III V-126	2201	DMSP Block-1
18 December 1962	Blue Scout IV V-121	5201	Transit Transit (satellite) The TRANSIT system, also known as NAVSAT , was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S...
19 February 1963	Blue Scout V V-132	0240	DMSP Block-1
5 April 1963	Blue Scout VI	0804	Transit Transit (satellite) The TRANSIT system, also known as NAVSAT , was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S...  5A-2
26 April 1963	Blue Scout VII	1298	DMSP Block-1
15 June 1963	Blue Scout VIII	1292	Transit Transit (satellite) The TRANSIT system, also known as NAVSAT , was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S...  5A-3
27 September 1963	Blue Scout IX	1610	DMSP Block-1
19 December 1963	Blue Scout X	2843	Explorer 19/Atmosphere Density Experiment
3 Jun 1964	ARROW PLANT	4412	Transit Transit (satellite) The TRANSIT system, also known as NAVSAT , was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S... 5C-1
25 Jun 1964	CHERRY PIE	4926	Environmental Sciences Research Satellite	Launch failure
25 Aug 1964	HURRY BABY	3826	Explorer 20/Ionosphere Explorer
9 Oct 1964	GUS GOOSE	6072
21 Nov 1964	IMA BIRD	6328
6 Dec 1965	SQUEEKY HUB	0542
21 Dec 1965	SOCIAL CIRCLE	1509
28 Jan 1966	INVENTORY AID	1593
25 Mar 1966	BEST GIRL	1117
22 Apr 1966	LABRADOR RETRVR	1527
18 May 1966	DANCE LESSON	0082
4 Aug 1966	RUBBER MAT	3140
17 Aug 1966	MARBLE HALL	2366
28 Oct 1966	BUSY SERVICE	3820
31 Jan 1967	BUSY MASON	5589
13 Apr 1967	BUSY MINUTEMAN	0100
5 May 1967	BUSY WIFE	7102
18 May 1967	BUSY OCEAN	7218
29 May 1967	OLD FAD	8086