Overview
Most satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB are intended for government and commercial use (32.8%) and for the purpose of earth observation (38.4%).Majority of these satellites are LEO satellites, with around 227 (97.8%) launched so far.
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Insights from the dataset of satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB
Which year saw the most satellites launched?
Who operates or owns the most satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB?
Which country operates or owns the most satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB?
Which rocket has delivered the most satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB to space?
What is the most common type of satellite orbit?
Apogee, Perigee & Period
Satellite Mass
Highlights on some of the satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB:
Second heaviest satellite launched by ORBCOMM Inc. into space at 45 kg
Designed for communications, ORBCOMM FM-4 is a commercial satellite operated by ORBCOMM Inc. (USA).
Constructed by Orbital Sciences Corp. (USA), it was launched into space on 10 February 1998 using Taurus as the launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB. ORBCOMM FM-4 orbits around the Earth as a polar LEO satellite.
Designated with COSPAR ID 1998-007C and NORAD ID 25159, ORBCOMM FM-4 is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 5 years. It has a launch mass of 45 kg and dry mass of 22 kg.
Using its self-produced usable power of 160 watts, ORBCOMM FM-4 orbits at an inclination of 108 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
The satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 768km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 838km. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 4.88E-03 and it takes 101 minutes to orbit the Earth.
SMAP.
SMAP is a government satellite operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (USA) for the purpose of earth observation (Earth Science).
Constructed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA) (USA), it was launched into space using Delta 2 as the launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB on 31 January 2015. SMAP orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
SMAP is expected to have a operational lifetime of 3 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2015-003A and NORAD ID 40376.
Taking 98 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 660km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 686km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 1.85E-03 and it orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Heaviest satellite launched by Canadian Space Agency into space at 1,430 kg
RCM-1 is a government satellite operated by Canadian Space Agency (Canada) for the purpose of earth observation (Radar Imaging).
Constructed by MDA Corporation (Canada), it was launched into space using Falcon 9 as the launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB on 12 June 2019. RCM-1 orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
Designed with an operational lifetime of 7 years, RCM-1 has a launch mass of 1,430 kg and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2019-033A and NORAD ID 44322.
Taking 97 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 584km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 604km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 1.44E-03 and it orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
IRIS.
A government satellite, IRIS is operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of USA for the purpose of space science.
Delivered via L1011 (launch vehicle) from Vandenberg AFB, it was launched into space on 28 June 2013 and orbits the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite. IRIS was constructed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center (ATC) (USA).
Designated with COSPAR ID 2013-033A and NORAD ID 39197, IRIS is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 2 years. It has a launch mass of 236 kg and dry mass of 678 kg.
With an orbital eccentricity of 3.14E-03, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 620km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 664km. It takes 98 minutes to orbit the Earth.
With generated usable power of 50 watts, IRIS orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Designed for earth science (Laser Imaging), Icesat-2 is a government satellite operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (USA).
Delivered via Delta 2 (launch vehicle) from Vandenberg AFB, it was launched into space on 15 September 2018 and orbits the Earth as a polar LEO satellite. Icesat-2 was constructed by Northrup Grumman Information Systems (USA).
Designed with an operational lifetime of 3 years, Icesat-2 has a launch mass of 1,515 kg and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2018-070A and NORAD ID 43613.
Taking 94 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 455km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 468km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 9.51E-04 and it orbits at an inclination of 93 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
ELFIN-A is a commercial and civil satellite operated by University of California (USA) for the purpose of space science.
Constructed by University of California (USA), it was launched into space on 15 September 2018 using Delta 2 as the launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB. ELFIN-A orbits around the Earth as a polar LEO satellite.
ELFIN-A has a launch mass of 4 kg and orbits around the Earth with the COSPAR ID 2018-070E and NORAD ID 43617.
Taking 94 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 443km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 469km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 1.90E-03 and it orbits at an inclination of 93 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Second heaviest satellite launched into space at 20,000 kg
USA 314 is a military satellite operated by National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) (USA) for the purpose of earth observation (Optical Imaging).
Delivered via Delta 4 Heavy (launch vehicle) from Vandenberg AFB, it was launched into space on 26 April 2021 and orbits the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite. USA 314 was constructed by Lockheed Martin (USA).
USA 314 has a launch mass of 20,000 kg and is expected to have a operational lifetime of 5 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2021-032A and NORAD ID 48247.
Taking 98 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 524km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 758km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 1.67E-02 and it orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Second heaviest elliptical satellite launched into space at 490 kg
Cassiope is a government satellite operated by Canadian Space Agency (Canada) for the purpose of earth science.
Constructed by Canadian Space Agency (Canada), it was launched into space using Falcon 9 as the launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB on 29 September 2013. Cassiope orbits around the Earth as a elliptical LEO satellite.
Cassiope has a launch mass of 490 kg and is expected to have a operational lifetime of 2 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2013-055A and NORAD ID 39265.
With an orbital eccentricity of 7.98E-02, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 325km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 1,486km. It takes 103 minutes to orbit the Earth.
With generated usable power of 600 watts, Cassiope orbits at an inclination of 81 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Get more insights from these satellite datasets
Full datasets: All satellites by launch date | The Heaviest Satellites That Are Launched to Space
By Use Type: Civil-use satellites | Commercial satellites | Government satellites | Military satellites
By Country: USA | UK | France | Germany | Japan | China | Russia | Australia | Canada
By Orbit Class/Type: LEO satellites | MEO satellites | GEO satellites | Elliptical orbit | Polar orbit | Equatorial orbit | Non-polar inclined orbit | Sun-synchronous orbit | Molniya orbit
By Operators: SpaceX | EUTELSAT | SES | European Space Agency (ESA) | Planet Labs | Iridium | Spire Global | OneWeb | Swarm Technologies | NASA - Dataset of Satellites Launched (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) | Canadian Space Agency (CSA) - Dataset of Satellites Launched
By Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 | Ariane 5 | Ariane 5 ECA | Delta 2 | Dnepr | Electron | Falcon Heavy | Long March 2C | Long March 2D | Long March 3B | Pegasus | Proton | Proton M | PSLV | Rokot | Soyuz | Soyuz-2.1b | Vega
By Launch Vehicle: Cape Canaveral | Baikonur Cosmodrome | Guiana Space Center | International Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | Plesetsk Cosmodrome | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 | Satish Dhawan Space Centre | Taiyuan Launch Center | Vandenberg AFB | Xichang Satellite Launch Center | Boeing Satellite Systems | Airbus Defense and Space | EADS Astrium | Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems | Space Systems/Loral | Surrey Satellite Technology | Technical University Berlin | Thales Alenia Space
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