Inside the historic Cold War landmark at Vandenberg Space Force base—its technology, its people, and its military importance. Includes photos. Situated in the sand dunes of California’s Central Coast, Space Launch Complex Ten, often called SLC-10 or “Slick Ten,” is a National Historic Landmark that commemorates a powerful Cold War legacy. Home to Vandenberg’s Space and Missile Technology Center, or SAMTEC, the facility contains the rich technological heritage of the U.S. Air Force’s space and missile launch systems. As the only remaining Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile launch site in the world, SLC-10’s noteworthy achievements span the globe. The complex trained British Royal Air Force missileers for Project EMILY, assisted during nuclear atmospheric tests in the Pacific, and launched military weather satellites in support of the covert National Reconnaissance Program. Former air force space and missile officer Joseph T. Page II recounts amazing stories of dedicated men and women who led the American military effort to explore space.

In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the space shuttle program's Vandenberg launch site (VLS) in California, specifically: (1) the Air Force's cost estimates for various VLS operating levels and VLS technical issues identified in a congressional report; (2) plans for manned spaceflight from VLS; (3) the President's rationale for replacing the space shuttle Challenger; (4) the membership of two interagency groups that reviewed the programmatic implications of the Challenger's loss; and (5) a history of VLS funding.