VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Santa Ynez peak, April, 1, 2026, marking the official beginning of construction of a secure storage facility for high-power telescopes and tracking systems used by the 2 ROPS Mobile Optics team. The Mobile Optics team provides high quality long-range imagery for Vandenberg’s launch and test missions.
The equipment is vital to capturing technical imagery of launch and test missions from Vandenberg. The new building aims to eliminate the risk and inefficiency of transporting the equipment between Vandenberg facilities and Santa Ynez peak.