Hours after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors ratified a new pact to reduce the impacts of SpaceX launches on a campground neighboring Vandenberg Space Force Base, the company sent another set of Starlink satellites into orbit.
Liftoff occurred at 8:40 p.m. Tuesday from the Space Launch Complex before the Falcon 9 rocket delivered the 20 new Starlink satellites, 13 of which have direct-to-cell capabilities.
A twilight departure into clear skies provided a perfect backdrop for the rocket’s rise away from the Central Coast, and for spectators in other Western states to follow the flight as the first-stage booster and two halves of the payload fairing fell away.
The Falcon’s liftoff marked the second launch involving completely different vehicles, flight profiles and missions within less than 24 hours from Vandenberg. A Minotaur launch took place Monday night for the development of a new re-entry vehicle for the next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile.
Tuesday’s liftoff coincidentally occurred hours after the Board of Supervisors approved without comment a new memorandum of understanding involving Vandenberg, SpaceX and the county seeking a Federal Aviation Administration waiver allowing visitors to remain at Jalama Beach County Park during launches.
Since 1992, an agreement between the county and Vandenberg prompted evacuations of Jalama Beach County Park.
However, a considerable increase in the number of commercial launches, led by SpaceX, has prompted reconsideration of the practice.
A few years ago, a pilot policy established a threshold that would spark evacuation of park visitors for a launch. As a result, Jalama has not seen any evacuations since last August.
“This pilot protocol is no longer feasible as changes in summer atmospheric conditions and the onset of the busy summer camping season mean that the occupancy threshold cannot be maintained,” county staff said in a written report.
SpaceX and Vandenberg officials will apply for a waiver that requires creation of an emergency response plan and a memorandum of understanding with SpaceX, Vandenberg SFB and the county.
The plan calls for increased signage, an emergency medical technician or park ranger with similar training present for launches, and increased notification to those at the beach.
“Jalama is a significant revenue source” for the parks division since it generates $2.8 million in revenue each year, county officials said about concerns regarding the increased launch rate.
It’s also one of the limited public coastal access points for North County residents, county staff said.
Launch-related evacuations require significant resources for the physical exit of the public and staff from the park, road closures by law enforcement officers, reservation cancellations, refunds and rebooking, county staff said.
“Customer convenience is important in the hospitality and recreation industry, and interruption of visitor vacations undermines the desirability of Jalama as a vacation destination and is a burden on concessionaires who rely on visitors for sales at the store and restaurant,” staff said in the report.
Access to Jalama also has raised concerns among the California Coastal Commission, leading to a talks about installing a sign near Highway 1 and Jalama Road plus improving internet access, likely with Starlink.
