Last year there were 51 launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base. This year, they are expecting even more.
"The busiest launch year we've had in 50 years, so in my entire lifetime we've never had anything of that magnitude," said Col. Mark Shoemaker, with the U.S. Space Force.
Col. Shoemaker says the number of launches has been increasing around 30% every year.
"The price of launch has gotten more competitive and accessible to commercial companies," Col. Shoemaker said.
He adds that what they are launching has changed as well.
"Instead of one giant satellite that does everything, breaking that into multiple smaller satellites, so there will be nominally more launches to put more smaller satellites," he said.
Commander Dustin Harmon oversees the tests of unarmed Minuteman III missiles. Those launches stay around the same number every year.
"I expect to keep launching about three a year," Cmdr. Harmon said.
He adds that the launches of the unarmed Minuteman IIIs are planned five years in advance and the purpose is to collect data on the performance.
"Launching the missile is what everybody sees, but you only see that for a few minutes. It's the years' worth of work that as we prepare for the launch, launch this one, then we analyze all of the data we collect then prepare a performance report, and that performance report will ultimately inform the commander of the United Strategic Command and up through the president as far as the safety and reliability of the weapon system," Cmdr. Harmon said.
While the number of Minuteman launches will stay the same, there will be an increase in overall launches.
Col. Shoemaker says they are expecting around 70 launches this year, and says you can stay up-to-date with when they will be through their notification system.
"If you were to go back three or four years when there was a launch or two every month, it might happen and no one would really know it happened, but when things are happening every other day or once a week, people were starting to say, 'What was that'?" Col. Shoemaker said.
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