Vandenberg Air Force Base:

Vandenberg AFB is just to the west of Lompoc. As recently revealed on a documentary, project Corona, a rocket program preceding Russia's Sputnik successfully sent spy photo equipment into orbit after a series of disasterous launches from Vandenberg's dozens of launch sites. This was kept top secret for years afterwards. Tests of cruise missiles are launched from here because if they blow up they'll be over the ocean.

Click here to see a Lompoc wall mural with Vandenberg rocket launching

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