REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- A collaborative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and U.S. Space Force will result in the replacement of a facility essential to airfield operations at a premier rocket launch military installation in California.
Vandenberg Space Force Base, located on the central coast of California, is headquarters to host unit Space Launch Delta 30, which manages Department of War space and missile testing, launching satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast and supporting the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force Development Evaluation program.
The base is essentially the West Coast’s premier "spaceport" operating much like a massive, highly secure, high-tech airport where the "planes" are massive rockets carrying satellites, scientific payloads, and defense systems into orbit.
Although there are no fixed or rotary wing aircraft assigned to Vandenberg, various transient aircraft often use their 15,000 ft. runway to deliver high-value assets such as expendable boosters, and other rocket and missile materiel.
For a space force base serving as critical hub for national defense and U.S. space operations, its air traffic is controlled from a tower built in 1953—five years prior to the establishment of NASA.
However, a project to replace the antiquated airfield operations infrastructure with a state-of-the art replacement, moving forward to align the facility operations with U.S. Space Force and NASA ‘Spaceport of the Future’ initiative aimed at modernizing and expanding infrastructure at Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral Space Force Bases.
Jamie Measmer, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) AE Contracts & Criteria Branch technical manager, said the project to replace the antiquated tower is moving forward rapidly. “We have received authorization to exercise the contract option to advance the design from 35% to 100% Certified Final with the AE contractor,” Measmer said.
“We anticipate having this action completed by the end of July and start design completion in August.” The project to replace the tower consolidates the airfield fire station and air operations facility into one structure centrally located on the existing airfield.
The AE contract task order was awarded in August 2025. Following the award, a design charette was conducted at the base in September 2025 involving stakeholders from Vandenberg SFB’s 30th Civil Engineer Squadron, 30th Operations Support Squadron and representatives from Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Los Angeles District, and Huntsville Center.
Los Angeles District requested Huntsville Center AE Contracts & Criteria Branch to administer the AE design task order to support a design-bid-build delivery method for a full design of the project known as ‘Fiscal 2028 Consolidated Air Traffic Control Tower / Fire Station.’
Following the charrette, the AE contractor submitted a 35% design package that was reviewed by the stakeholders. A design review meeting was held at Vandenberg in March 2026 to resolve reviewer comments and receive stakeholder input to advance the design.
A Los Angeles District-led cost and schedule risk analysis meeting followed as did a Huntsville Center AE Contracts & Criteria Branch-led value engineering review.
Measmer said the timing will provide a completed design to be ready to advertise for construction beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.
Grace Parnell, Los Angeles District project manager for the Vandenberg endeavor, said partnering with Huntsville Center was optimal.
“In our search for available reach-back support, we identified the A&E Contract and Criteria Branch at the Huntsville Center as an available resource to assist with this project,” Parnell said.
“Working together with the Spaceport Project Integration Team Los Angeles District and Huntsville Center developed a request for proposal and awarded a Task Order for the design of the facility.”