# ION at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA: deployment

Canonical ID: `87cf89d1-eb65-4838-84cd-54259acaea38`

[D-Orbit](/companies/d-orbit.md) has conducted 22+ commercial [ION](/models/d-orbit-ion.md) Satellite Carrier missions since September 2020. First ION (SCV Lucas) launched from Guiana Space Center on Arianespace Vega. Subsequent missions launched from Vandenberg SFB SLC-4E and Cape Canaveral CCSFS SLC-40 on SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter missions. Deployed satellites for Planet Labs, Kleos Space, EnduroSat, Elecnor Deimos, USC, SatRevolution. Latest mission Wayfinder (22nd) launched on Transporter-16 from Vandenberg.

**Trust tier:** Unverified

_Last updated: 2026-08-08_

- **Slug:** d-orbit-ion-vandenberg-space-force-base-california-us
- **Status:** operational
- **Model:** [ION](/models/d-orbit-ion.md) (id: `31ae46df-e05a-4aba-99a6-4125bf9aa0c4`)
- **Company:** [D-Orbit](/companies/d-orbit.md) (id: `b5fe3c9f-eb11-437b-8d2d-b4ad5bf2c803`)
- **Location:** [Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA](/locations/vandenberg-space-force-base-california-us.md) (id: `53094377-b6f5-4feb-9995-9ae47fd2f5a0`)
- **First seen:** 2020-09-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Verification log (0, append-only)

_No verifications recorded._

## Sources (1)

1. https://dorbit.space/wayfinder-march-2026/

## Common questions

### What is the ION deployment at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA?

ION, built by D-Orbit, is recorded as a deployment at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA on the DEPLOY registry. D-Orbit operates the deployment directly.

### Who operates ION at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA?

D-Orbit, the manufacturer of ION, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.

### When did the ION deployment at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA go live?

The deployment is recorded as starting September 3, 2020 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.

### Have there been incidents at the ION deployment at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA?

No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.


_API: GET /v1/robots/87cf89d1-eb65-4838-84cd-54259acaea38 · feeds: GET /v1/feeds?deploymentId=87cf89d1-eb65-4838-84cd-54259acaea38 · canonical URL: /deployments/d-orbit-ion-vandenberg-space-force-base-california-us_