Vandenberg Debuts ‘Mission Update’ Series At DeWees Center In Lompoc
Jarrod Zinn
LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A new speaking series from Vandenberg Space Force Base launched in Lompoc this evening.
Launches won’t be slowing down, but the base is taking the issue of impacts very seriously.
The branding of this new free speaker series designated ‘Mission Update’ is different from previous public forums.
“This is just simply reaching out to our community as a responsible community partner and helping them understand the importance of what we’re doing on base,” says Col. James T. Horne Iii, Space Launch Delta 30 Commander.
Residents of the Central Coast as near to the base as Lompoc, as well as communities as far away as Ventura and Oxnard, have been raising concerns as Vandenberg ramps up the amount and frequency of their rocket launches.
“This is the most incredibly exciting time I’ve ever seen in my 25 years in uniform,” says Col. Horne. “As I mentioned, this is the second space race.”
Vandenberg has begun working with universities to conduct research on all impacts of rocket launches, as well as mitigation strategies.
“You know, when we started making, measurements of the ascent sonic boom, you know, in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, we really didn’t know what was happening at first,” says Kent Gee, professor at Brigham Young University.
The new series ‘Mission Update’ features Col. Horne and the lead researcher for the ECOBOOM study at Brigham Young University’s Physics Department, Kent Gee.
“We got in and really just said, well, let’s go deploy things in parts as fast as we can to start getting an understanding,” says Gee. “But we understand so much more than we did 18 months ago.”
The series provides insights into the base’s ongoing efforts at impact mitigation, in addition to the critical role the base plays in national security.
“I think we’re in for an exciting future,” says Col. Horne. “But with that comes growing pains. And as responsible actors in this environment, we just want to make sure that we’re doing our best to take care of our people in our community while protecting our nation.”
Upcoming sessions are planned in cities across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and details will be provided for those events when they become available.
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