Following the last flight on 21 January 1960, the pad underwent the conversion into an orbital launch complex, as the Thor got decommissioned from missile use and was replaced by ICBMs such as the LGM-25C Titan II.

With the Department of Defense seeing its payloads grow in size throughout the late 1960s (as seen by satellites such as the KH-9 and KH-11 getting developed), both the Thor-Agena and Thor-Ablestar were retired and SLC-2W received another modification, this time to act as the west coast site of the Thor-Delta and its derivatives to complement LC-17 at Cape Canaveral.

Throughout this period of the pad's history, 26 Delta launches were performed at the site, carrying various payloads for the DoD, NASA, NOAA, and a handful of international agencies such as ESA.

Despite all California Shuttle plans getting axed following the Challeneger disaster in 1986, SLC-2W only saw one last liftoff in this configuration on 18 November 1989, with a Delta 5000 being used to launch the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) for NASA.

Over the next 23 years, the pad saw 45 Delta II launches and delivered various payloads to polar orbit for numerous governmental agencies and commercial customers.

Additionally, SLC-2W followed the Delta II in changing hands regarding operation; it went from McDonnell Douglas to Boeing following their merger in 1997, and was subsequently passed to United Launch Alliance following the 2006 formation of the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture.