Col. James T. Horne III, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, recently revealed a new strategic plan outlining priorities for 2026 and beyond for Vandenberg Space Force Base, a critical hub for national defense and U.S. space operations.
“We must expand our capacity for full-spectrum operations as launch demand continues to rise,” Horne said. “Our commitment to our mission will ensure reliable access to space for warfighters, mission partners and commercial customers in alignment with national space policy and the U.S. Space Force Commercial Space Strategy.”
The plan’s priorities include streamlining operations, improving efficiency across the spaceport and strengthening the resilience and security of critical infrastructure. It reinforces efforts to build the spaceport of the future by expanding spaceport throughput, enhancing launch and test range support, growing airfield operations and hardening base infrastructure. The plan also invests in education, training and professional development for Guardians, Airmen and civilians.
Most of the base’s existing infrastructure was designed for a different era, so the plan aims to modernize base support functions and aggressively pursue automation. Horne expects data-driven decision making and innovative technologies will help transition space launch from a labor-intensive process to a highly automated and routine execution.
Long-term planning, resilience and adaptability are essential, Horne said.