Most of us in the Santa Maria Valley have watched a launch light up the sky. On August 28, the Leadership Santa Maria Valley (LSMV) Class of 2027 saw how much happens long before, and far beyond, that moment.

Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs hosted the class for a full day at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). They toured launch sites, control centers, Firefly Aerospace and the base’s heritage center. Even so, the visit only scratched the surface of everything Vandenberg does.

What stood out most was how fast the base is growing. According to Space Launch Delta 30, Vandenberg supported 66 launches in 2025 and reached its 50th launch of 2026 by July 21. That growth, fueled by partners like SpaceX and Firefly Aerospace, is bringing new jobs and innovation to our region, along with new demands on local housing and infrastructure.

Briefing from Tom Stevens

The day began at headquarters with Tom Stevens, Executive Director of Space Launch Delta 30 and an LSMV graduate himself. He walked the class through the base’s mission, its partners and its rapid growth, and explained why Vandenberg has become so essential to the nation.

Firefly Aerospace

At Space Launch Complex 2, the class toured Firefly Aerospace. The site has hosted 158 launches since 1959, including seven Firefly Alpha missions. The class heard about upcoming projects, visited a static fire test site and learned a few of Firefly’s launch traditions.

Remote Launch Control Center

At the Remote Launch Control Center, Capt. Kim gave the class an inside look at launch operations. The visit showed the precision and teamwork behind every launch, a workload that has grown from a handful of missions a year to 66 in 2025.

Ground-Based Interceptor Pad

On North Base, Charles “Turbo” Griffith led an unclassified tour of the Ground-Based Interceptor pad, a lesser-known side of Vandenberg’s mission. The class heard about President Reagan’s influence on missile defense and what Golden Dome for America means for its future.

Western Range Operations Control Center

At the Western Range Operations Control Center, classmate Maria White shared how her team keeps West Coast launches safe. They set the “rules” for every launch based on years of data, and if a rocket strays off course, they terminate the flight to protect the public.

SAMTEC Heritage Center

The day wrapped up at the SAMTEC Heritage Center, where Chris Ryan walked the class through decades of Vandenberg’s space and missile history. After a day spent seeing where the base is headed, it was the perfect place to see how far it has come.

Why it matters

For the future leaders of the Santa Maria Valley, understanding Vandenberg matters. More launches and personnel will bring challenges, but also real opportunity. Vandenberg may be in our backyard, but its impact is global, and its success is essential to our country.

We left inspired, informed and proud of what’s happening right here at home.