View source for Point Arguello

{{Short description|Landform in Santa Barbara County, California}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

[[File:Point Arguello and Vandenberg Air Force Base.jpg|thumb|350px|Point Arguello]]

'''Point Arguello''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Punta Argüello'')<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cXQLFU3mTSkC&dq=%22Punta+Arg%C3%BCello%22+%22santa+barbara%22&pg=PA147 Descripción de las Costas de California]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=tAPnAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Punta+Arg%C3%BCello%22+&pg=PA378 Journal of the American Institute of Architects, Volume 2]</ref> is a [[headland]] on the [[Gaviota Coast]], in [[Santa Barbara County, California]], near the city of [[Lompoc, California|Lompoc]].<ref>{{cite gnis|247631|Point Arguello}}</ref> The area was first used by the [[United States Navy]] in 1959 for the launch of military and sounding [[rocket]]s. It was transferred to the [[United States Air Force]] in 1964,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.astronautix.com/sites/poiuello.htm|title=Point Arguello|last=Wade|first=Mark|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|access-date=2009-05-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327001616/http://www.astronautix.com/sites/poiuello.htm|archive-date=2009-03-27}}</ref> at which time it became part of [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/SPACEFLIGHT/VAFB/SP47.htm|title=Vandenberg Air Force Base|work=Spaceflight|last=Day|first=Dwayne|publisher=US Centennial of Flight Commission|access-date=2009-05-19 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511191916/http://centennialofflight.gov/essay/SPACEFLIGHT/VAFB/SP47.htm|archive-date=2009-05-11}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

== History ==
In 1769, the Spanish [[Portola expedition]] became the first Europeans to explore this area by land. Soldiers of the expedition named a nearby point '''Los Pedernales''' or '''Punta Pedernales''', because they found flints there.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bolton|first=Herbert E.|pages=176–177|date=1927|title=Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774 |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000288788|publisher=HathiTrust Digital Library|access-date=1 April 2014}}</ref> The point was given that name on some early maps, but in 1792 British naval explorer [[George Vancouver]] dubbed it Point Arguello for [[José Darío Argüello]], a [[Spain|Spanish]] frontier soldier who was Commandant of the [[Presidio of Santa Barbara]] and [[List of pre-statehood governors of California|acting governor]] of [[Alta California]].<ref name=gudde>{{cite book|first=Erwin|last=Gudde|author2=William Bright|title=California Place Names|date=2004|edition=Fourth |publisher=University of California Press|isbn=0-520-24217-3|page=17}}</ref>

{{USS|Edith}} wrecked off Point Argüello in 1849.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoover |first1=Mildred Brooke |title=[[Historic Spots in California]] |last2=Rensch |first2=Hero Eugene |last3=Rensch |first3=Ethel Grace |last4=Abeloe |first4=William N. |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1966 |edition=3rd |location=Stanford, Calif. |pages=415 |language=en-us}}</ref>

A [[High-frequency direction finding]] (HFDF) was established here by the Navy during [[World War II]]. These radio intercept sites along [[West Coast of the United States|the coast]] could track Japanese warships and merchant marine vessels as far away as the Western Pacific. The other stations in California were at [[Farallon Islands]], Point Saint George, and San Diego. [[Bainbridge Island, Washington]] also hosted a station.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Menzel|first=Sewall|title=The Pearl Harbor Secret: Why Roosevelt Undermined the U.S. Navy|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2020|isbn= 9781440875861|pages=41}}</ref>

== Launch pads ==
Rockets listed in ''italics'' were launched from the complex after its transfer to Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1964.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Original Designation
! Later Designation<br/>(Vandenberg Air Force Base, from 1966)
! Rockets
|-
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3|LC-1-1]]
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3|SLC-3W]]
| [[Atlas-Agena]]<br/>''[[Thor-Agena]]<br/>[[Thorad-Agena]]<br/>[[Atlas E/F]]''
|-
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3|LC-1-2]]
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3|SLC-3E]]
| [[Atlas-Agena]]<br/>''[[Atlas E/F]]<br/>[[Atlas H]]<br/>[[Atlas II|Atlas IIAS]]<br/>[[Atlas V]]''
|-
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|LC-2-3]]
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|SLC-4W]]
| [[Atlas-Agena]]<br/>''[[Titan IIIB]]<br/>[[Titan 23G]]''
|-
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|LC-2-4]]
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4|SLC-4E]]
| ''[[Atlas-Agena]]<br/>[[Titan IIID]]<br/>[[Titan 34D]]<br/>[[Titan IV]]<br/>[[Falcon 9]]''
|-
| [[Point Arguello#PALC-A|PALC-A]]
| N/A
| [[Sounding rocket]]s
|-
| [[Point Arguello#PALC-B|PALC-B]]
| N/A
| [[Sounding rocket]]s
|-
| [[Vandenberg Probe Launch Complex C|LC-C]]
| [[Vandenberg Probe Launch Complex C|PLC-C]]
| ''[[Sounding rocket]]s''
|-
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 5|PALC-D]]
| [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 5|SLC-5]]
| [[Scout (rocket family)|Scout]]
|-
|}

=== PALC-A ===
'''Launch Complex A''' or '''LC-A''' at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station in [[California]], [[United States]], subsequently '''Point Arguello Launch Complex A''' or '''PALC-A''' at the [[Vandenberg Space Force Base|Vandenberg Air Force Base]], is a launch complex that was used for a number of [[sounding rocket]] launches between 1959 and 1966. It was originally built as '''Launch Complex A''' or '''LC-A''' at the [[Point Arguello Naval Air Station]], and was subsequently transferred to Vandenberg Air Force Base as PALC-A following the merger of Point Arguello into Vandenberg AFB in 1964.{{Infobox launch pad
| name            = Point Arguello Launch Complex A
| site            = Point Arguello<br/>[[Vandenberg Space Force Base|Vandenberg]]
| location        = {{coord|34.6791|-120.5922}}
| short           = LC-A, PALC-A
| operator        = [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]]
| tlaunches       = 39
| pads            = One

| paddetails      = {{Infobox launch pad/pad
  | designation   = 
  | status        = Inactive
  | launches      = 
  | first_launch  = 14 July 1959
  | first_details = 
  | last_launch   = 25 March 1966
  | last_details  = 
  | rockets       = [[Scout (rocket family)|Blue Scout Junior]]<br/>[[Astrobee|Astrobee-1500]]<br/>[[Black Brant (rocket)|Black Brant III]]<br/>[[DAC Roc]]<br/>[[Honest John-Nike-Nike]]<br/>[[Argo D-4 Javelin|Javelin]]<br/>[[Journeyman (rocket)|Journeyman]]<br/>[[Nike-Asp]]<br/>[[Seagull (rocket)|Seagull]]
  }}
}}[[Scout (rocket)|Blue Scout Junior]], [[Astrobee]], [[Black Brant (rocket)|Black Brant]], [[DAC Roc]], [[Honest John-Nike-Nike]], [[Argo D-4 Javelin|Javelin]], [[Journeyman (rocket)|Journeyman]], [[Nike-Asp]] and [[Seagull (rocket)|Seagull]] rockets were launched from the complex whilst it was active.

==== Launch History ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Date/Time (GMT)
!Rocket
!Mission
!Remarks
|-
|14 July 1959, 17:45
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|17 July 1959, 17:40
|Nike-Asp
|
|Failed
|-
|24 July 1959, 16:34
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|7 August 1959, 17:05
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|14 August 1959, 16:00
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|22 August 1959, 02:30
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|24 August 1959, 22:47
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|28 August 1959, 16:10
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|31 August 1959, 22:53
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|1 September 1959, 01:01
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|1 September 1959, 19:00
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|2 September 1959, 00:03
|Nike-Asp
|
|
|-
|19 September 1960, 16:35
|Journeyman
|
|
|-
|1 August 1961, 20:18
|Astrobee-1500
|
|
|-
|15 November 1961, 13:42
|Journeyman
|
|
|-
|18 November 1961, 13:42
|Journeyman
|
|
|-
|4 December 1961, 04:00
|Blue Scout Junior
|O-2
|
|-
|8 December 1961
|Astrobee-1500
|
|
|-
|31 May 1962, 17:08
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C
|ERCS 279L-1
|
|-
|9 July 1962
|Journeyman
|
|
|-
|24 July 1962, 17:29
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C
|ERCS 279L-2
|
|-
|21 November 1962, 18:20
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C
|ERCS 279L-3
|
|-
|19 December 1962
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B
|
|
|-
|2 February 1963, 06:56
|Blue Scout Jr SLV-1C
|ERCS 279L-4
|
|-
|12 February 1963, 01:47
|Journeyman
|
|
|-
|14 March 1963, 01:01
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C
|ERCS 279L-5
|
|-
|17 May 1963, 23:00
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C
|ERCS 279L-6
|
|-
|1 July 1963
|Black Brant III
|
|-
|24 October 1963
|DAC Roc
|
|
|-
|7 November 1963
|Black Brant III
|
|
|-
|18 November 1963
|Honest John-Nike-Nike
|HAD-1
|
|-
|10 December 1963
|DAC Roc
|
|
|-
|20 December 1963
|Seagull
|
|
|-
|6 February 1964
|Honest John-Nike-Nike
|HAD-2
|Failed
|-
|14 March 1964
|Honest John-Nike-Nike
|HAD-3
|
|-
|29 August 1964, 09:36
|Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B
|
|-
|22 December 1964, 04:00
|Blue Scout Junior
|
|Failed - premature third stage cutoff
|-
|19 March 1966, 12:31
|Javelin
|HITAB-1
|
|-
|25 March 1966, 09:42
|Javelin
|HITAB-2
|
|}

=== PALC-B ===
'''Launch Complex B''' or '''LC-B''' at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station in [[California]], [[United States]] was a launch complex which was used for twenty three [[sounding rocket]] launches between 1960 and 1963. [[Astrobee|Astrobee-1500]], [[Deacon-Arrow]], [[Kiva-Hopi]], [[Nike-Cajun]], [[Nike-Viper]], [[Terrier-Asp]] rockets were launched from the complex whilst it was active.{{Infobox launch pad|name=Launch Complex B|site=Point Arguello|location={{Coord|34.6697|-120.5993}}|short=LC-B|operator=[[US Air Force]]|tlaunches=23|pads=One|paddetails={{Infobox launch pad/pad
  | designation  = 
  | status       = Inactive
  | launches     = 
  | first_launch = 4 February 1960
  | first_details= 
  | last_launch  = 11 May 1963
  | last_details = 
  | rockets      = [[Astrobee|Astrobee-1500]]<br/>[[Deacon-Arrow]]<br/>[[Kiva-Hopi]]<br/>[[Nike-Cajun]]<br/>[[Nike-Viper]]<br/>[[Terrier-Asp]]
  }}}}The complex was transferred to the [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]] as a result of a merger between it and Point Arguello in 1964, however by that time it was already inactive.

==== Launch History ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Date/Time (GMT)
!Rocket
!Mission
!Remarks
|-
|4 February 1960
|Nike-Viper
|
|
|-
|29 April 1960
|Nike-Viper
|
|
|-
|27 June 1960
|Nike-Viper
|
|
|-
|1 July 1960
|Deacon-Arrow
|
|
|-
|8 July 1960
|Deacon-Arrow
|
|
|-
|14 July 1960
|Deacon-Arrow
|
|
|-
|20 July 1960
|Nike-Cajun
|
|
|-
|12 August 1960
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|30 September 1960
|Nike-Viper
|
|
|-
|12 October 1960
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|27 October 1960
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|21 November 1960
|Nike-Cajun
|
|
|-
|22 November 1960
|Nike-Cajun
|
|
|-
|6 December 1960, 18:44
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|14 December 1960
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|14 December 1960
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|16 December 1960
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|27 March 1961
|Deacon-Arrow
|
|
|-
|14 March 1962
|Terrier-Asp
|
|
|-
|9 July 1962
|Astrobee-1500
|
|Failed
|-
|5 August 1962
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|-
|13 December 1962
|Terrier-Asp
|
|
|-
|11 May 1963
|Kiva-Hopi
|
|
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[Point Arguello Light]]
* [[Honda Point disaster]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090327001616/http://www.astronautix.com/sites/poiuello.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica]

{{Point Arguello launch sites}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|34|37|N|120|36|W|display=title}}

[[Category:Headlands of California|Arguello]]
[[Category:Landforms of Santa Barbara County, California|Arguello]]
[[Category:United States Air Force]]
[[Category:Vandenberg Space Force Base]]