Point Arguello Launch Complex A

Launch Complex A

Launch site	Point Arguello Vandenberg
Location	34°40′45″N 120°35′32″W / 34.6791°N 120.5922°W
Short name	LC-A, PALC-A
Operator	US Air Force
Total launches	39
Launch pad(s)	One
Launch history
Status	Inactive
First launch	14 July 1959
Last launch	25 March 1966
Associated rockets	Blue Scout Junior Astrobee-1500 Black Brant III DAC Roc Honest John-Nike-Nike Javelin Journeyman Nike-Asp Seagull

Launch Complex A or LC-A at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station in California, United States, subsequently Point Arguello Launch Complex A or PALC-A at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a launch complex which was used for a number of sounding rocket launches between 1959 and 1966. It was originally built as Launch Complex A or LC-A at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station, and was subsequently transferred to Vandenberg AFB as PALC-A following the merger of Point Arguello into Vandenberg AFB in 1964.

Blue Scout Junior, Astrobee, Black Brant, DAC Roc, Honest John-Nike-Nike, Javelin, Journeyman, Nike-Asp and Seagull rockets were launched from the complex whilst it was active.

Launch history

Date/Time (GMT)	Rocket	Mission	Remarks
14 July 1959, 17:45	Nike-Asp
17 July 1959, 17:40	Nike-Asp		Failed
24 July 1959, 16:34	Nike-Asp
7 August 1959, 17:05	Nike-Asp
14 August 1959, 16:00	Nike-Asp
22 August 1959, 02:30	Nike-Asp
24 August 1959, 22:47	Nike-Asp
28 August 1959, 16:10	Nike-Asp
31 August 1959, 22:53	Nike-Asp
1 September 1959, 01:01	Nike-Asp
1 September 1959, 19:00	Nike-Asp
2 September 1959, 00:03	Nike-Asp
19 September 1960, 16:35	Journeyman
1 August 1961, 20:18	Astrobee-1500
15 November 1961, 13:42	Journeyman
18 November 1961, 13:42	Journeyman
4 December 1961, 04:00	Blue Scout Junior	O-2
8 December 1961	Astrobee-1500
31 May 1962, 17:08	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C	ERCS 279L-1
9 July 1962	Journeyman
24 July 1962, 17:29	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C	ERCS 279L-2
21 November 1962, 18:20	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C	ERCS 279L-3
19 December 1962	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B
2 February 1963, 06:56	Blue Scout Jr SLV-1C	ERCS 279L-4
12 February 1963, 01:47	Journeyman
14 March 1963, 01:01	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C	ERCS 279L-5
17 May 1963, 23:00	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C	ERCS 279L-6
1 July 1963	Black Brant III
24 October 1963	DAC Roc
7 November 1963	Black Brant III
18 November 1963	Honest John-Nike-Nike	HAD-1
10 December 1963	DAC Roc
20 December 1963	Seagull
6 February 1964	Honest John-Nike-Nike	HAD-2	Failed
14 March 1964	Honest John-Nike-Nike	HAD-3
29 August 1964, 09:36	Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B
22 December 1964, 04:00	Blue Scout Junior		Failed - premature third stage cutoff
19 March 1966, 12:31	Javelin	HITAB-1
25 March 1966, 09:42	Javelin	HITAB-2

References

• Wade, Mark. "Vandenberg LC-A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
• Webb, Brian. "Vandenberg AFB Launch History". Southwest Space Archive. Retrieved 2009-05-19.