Shuttle launches deposit highly acidified (pH 0.5–2.0) water vapor into neighboring natural vegetation. A series of experiments which determine the impact of a single simulated acid deposition (SAD) on native species from four soil types found at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California are reported here. Seedling survival and yield, seed germination and seedling emergence from each soil type were investigated. A single, extreme SAD (pH 0.5 and 1.0) prevented seedling establishment in all three species tested, while SAD of pH 2.5 reduced survival and yield. The germination responses of seven species were significantly reduced by a single SAD of pH 1.0, however, the magnitude of this reduction varied widely between species and also within a species on different soils. The moisture status of seeds also influenced germination response, but there was no consistent pattern. In addition, there was a slight germination enhancement in some species after a single exposure to SAD of pH 2.0. The number of seedlings that emerged from field collected soil was not significantly influenced by a single SAD under greenhouse conditions. These results suggest that germination, survival and yield in most species may be reduced after each shuttle launch, if other conditions for seedling establishment are suitable. However, species-specific levels of seed dormancy, temperature and soil moisture conditions and the frequency of launches will also influence seedling establishment.