1st Expeditionary Space Control Squadron

January 2024 January 2024 1st Expeditionary Space Control Squadron center|60px 1st Space Communications Squadron inactivation.jpg 300px The squadron guidon is furled during its inactivation ceremony, 9 June 2008 1989-2008 USA Space Control Air Force Space Command B. Chance Saltzman Vigilance Over Space Air Force Outstanding Unit Award https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433571/1-space-control-squadron-afspc/ Haulman Daniel L. Factsheet 1 Space Control Squadron (AFSPC) 15 April 2008 Air Force Historical Research Agency 20 May 2017 165px 1st Expeditionary Space Control Squadron emblem (approved 15 November 1994) The United States Air Force's 1st Expeditionary Space Control Squadron is a provisional squadron attached to the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Before conversion to provisional status, the 1st Space Control Squadron was a space situational awareness unit last located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The squadron commanded the United States Space Surveillance Network to detect, track, identify and catalog positional data for all human-made objects in Earth orbit. The squadron was established in 1989 as the 1st Command and Control Squadron at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base, Colorado. It was inactivated in 2008 and its personnel and equipment were integrated into the 614th Air and Space Operations Center.January 2024 History Background The roots of the squadron can be traced to 1961, when the Space Detection and Tracking System Center at opened at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado. The center brought together Air Force and Navy systems designed to track objects in space in all directions, not merely Soviet missiles launched over the North Pole. The center came under the operational control of North American Air Defense Command.Sloan p. 98 There were several subsequent moves, name changes, and changes in personnel, experience, and equipment. Activation The Air Force activated the 1st Command and Control Squadron at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado in December 1989 to operate the system. The 1st Command and Control Squadron provided collision avoidance support during each shuttle mission as well as maintaining an extensive satellite catalog (the "SATCAT" or "Box score"). http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/02/space.junk/ Wood Douglas S. Cataloging space junk: Working on the 'world's largest jigsaw puzzle' 2 August 2005 CNN 29 May 2017 This catalog is used by U.S. civilian and military agencies when launching new satellites into space, as well as by U.S. allies. http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/agency/21sw.htm 21st Space Wing [21 SW] 20 July 2011 Globalsecurity.org 29 May 2017 The 1 SPCS tracked and compiled positional data on thousands of man-made objects in space partly to prevent collisions between newly launched satellites and other objects already orbiting the Earth. Additionally, the unit had the mission to task 30 space sensors within Space Surveillance Network to track satellites for US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to maintain an accurate satellite catalog (SATCAT) of over 9000 objects orbiting the Earth., http://www.mors.org/publications/mor/vol12.htm Miller James G. (Gil) A New Sensor Allocation Algorithm for the Space Surveillance Network 2007 12 1 MOR Journal Abstracts Military Operations Research Society dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080517172010/http://www.mors.org/publications/mor/vol12.htm 17 May 2008 16 April 2009 http://www.dnd.ca/site/Commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=3393 Bridges Holly Space: the final recruiting frontier 2007 10 5 The Maple Leaf National Defence and the Canadian Forces dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120214033935/http://www.dnd.ca/site/Commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=3393 14 February 2012 16 April 2009 To support crewed space flight, 1 SPCS constructs a theoretical box around the Space Shuttle, MIR or ISS, and projects flight path intersections for 36 to 72 hours. If any objects intersects the theoretical box, the unit forwarded the analysis to NASA, allowing them to determine whether to change the spacecraft/space station's flight path. Based on 1 SPCS mission analysis, and its predecessor units, NASA has moved the Space Shuttle 12 times and the International Space Station five times since 1981.Staff writer(s) SGI Systems Help U.S. Air Force Space Command Detect, Track, Identify And Catalog Man-Made Objects in Space http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-10-2003/0001962550&EDATE= https://web.archive.org/web/20061119070927/http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-10-2003/0001962550&EDATE= 10 June 2003 19 November 2006 dead 20 May 2017 In June 1995, the unit tracked the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis during its historic rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir. The unit also compiled a catalog of space objects.http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123063509 Schmalz Trisha NASA honors 1st Space Control Squadron team 6 August 2007 Air Force Space Command Public Affairs dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090426013748/http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123063509 26 April 2009 29 May 2017 http://celestrak.com/publications/AAS/04-128/AAS-04-128.pdf Kelso T.S. Morris R.F. DeVere G.T. Randolph J.C. Bowman B.R. Racca R.A. Thurston N.L. Space Surveillance Contributions to the STS 107 Accident Investigation Celestrak.com 29 May 2017 The 1 SPCS also contained international personnel, such as Canadian military, since SSA was not just a U.S. problem. Move In 2006, Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of NORAD directed a study on the continued use of the hardened command post at Cheyenne Mountain in view of what was perceived as diminished threats.Zubeck Pam Cheyenne Mountain's fate may lie in study contents 16 June 2006 http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/yspace/articles/cheyenne_mountain_study.htm The Colorado Springs Gazette https://web.archive.org/web/20080319134621/http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/yspace/articles/cheyenne_mountain_study.htm 19 March 2008 dead 20 May 2017 The decision to close Cheyenne Mountain required a unit move. The unit moved to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California in 2007 to better coordinate activities with the Joint Space Operations Center, it lost over 150 years of expert civilian experience.Space News: "Chilton: Progress Is Being Made On Space Situational Awareness," 24 Apr 2007 http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive07/ssax_0423.html https://archive.today/20090513223254/http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive07/ssax_0423.html 13 May 2009 dead 2009-04-16 Inactivation The unit was inactivated on 9 Jun 2008, and its mission and members integrated into the 614th Air and Space Operations Center / Joint Space Operations Center. https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/?id=123102016 Stewart SRA Erica 1st Space Control Squadron inactivates, joins 14th AOC 9 June 2008 30th Space Wing Public Affairs live https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225727/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123102016 3 March 2016 20 May 2017 Unconfirmed sources state that Cheyenne Mountain may retain some capability to cover the 1 SPCS mission, if required.http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A20629 de Yoanna Michelle Bad move? As NORAD leaves Cheyenne Mountain, some worry it's a dangerous mistake 3 May 2007 Colorado Springs Independent live https://web.archive.org/web/20110611093113/http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:20629 11 June 2011 29 May 2017 Lineage Constituted as the 1st Command and Control Squadron on 30 November 1989 Activated on 1 December 1989 Redesignated 1st Space Control Squadron on 1 October 2001 Inactivated c. 9 June 2008 Redesignated 1st Expeditionary Space Control Squadron' and converted to provisional status on 11 February 2009 Activated 27 February 2009 https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433345/1-expeditionary-space-control-squadron-afspc/ Robertson Patsy Factsheet 1 Expeditionary Space Control Squadron (AFSPC) 3 April 2009 Air Force Historical Research Agency 20 May 2017 Assignments 1st Space Wing, 1 December 1989 73d Space Surveillance Group (later 73d Space Group), 28 February 1992 721st Space Group, 24 June 1994 21st Operations Group, 26 April 1995 – c. 9 June 2008 Air Force Space Command to activate or inactivate as needed, 11 February 2009 Attached to 21st Space Wing, 27 February 2009 Stations Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base (later Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station), Colorado, 1 December 1989 Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, 31 July 2007 – 9 June 2008 Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, 27 February 2009 – present Commanders 25em Lt David Agee (1989–1991) Lt Col Joseph Wysocki (1991–1992) Lt Col John M. Rabins (1992–1994) Lt Col Michael A. Muolo (1994–1996) Lt Col Joseph G. Baillargeon (1996–1998) Lt Col David A. Strand (14 Aug 1998-2000) Lt Col Craigen B. Anderson (2000-2002) Lt. Col. Scott F. Shepherd (2002–2004) https://www.petersonschriever.spaceforce.mil/?id=9641 Peterson AFB Library Biographies: Col Scott F. Shepherd 460 Space Wing Public Affairs live https://web.archive.org/web/20120214023340/http://www.peterson.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=9641 14 February 2012 20 May 2017 Lt Col Michael Mason (circa 2007),Scully Janene Space unit settles in at VAFB 29 October 2007 http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2007/10/29/news/centralcoast/news03.txt Santa Maria Times https://archive.today/20090513223302/http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2007/10/29/news/centralcoast/news03.txt 13 May 2009 dead 17 May 2017 Lt Col Chance Saltzman (July 2007-2008) Awards AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 December 1989-31 August 1991 1st Command and Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 1995-30 September 1997 1st Command and Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January 1998-31 December 1998 1st Command and Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 1997-30 September 1999 1st Command and Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January 1999-31 December 1999 1st Command and Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January 2000-31 August 2001 1st Command and Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 2004-30 September 2005 1st Space Control Squadron https://access.afpc.af.mil/AwardsDMZNet40/SearchAwards.aspx Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards Air Force Personnel Center 20 May 2017 (search) AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 2005-30 September 2006 1st Space Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 2006-30 July 2007 1st Space Control Squadron AF OUA Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 31 July 2007-9 June 2008 1st Space Control Squadron See also Space Surveillance Network Midcourse Space Experiment Air Force Space Command Fourteenth Air Force References Notes Bibliography Sloan Elinor C. Security and Defence in the Terrorist Era https://books.google.com/books?id=evldtppA72AC&q=spadats&pg=PA194 20 May 2017 2005 McGill-Queen's University Press Quebec, Quebec, Canada 9780773573208 (link to Google Books Play) External links 30th Space Wing: Vandenberg AFB home page https://web.archive.org/web/20190610205828/https://www.vandenberg.af.mil/ 10 June 2019 https://www.af.mil/News/story/storyID/123027166/ Space unit to move from Cheyenne Mountain 14 September 2006 Air Force Link (AFPN) live https://web.archive.org/web/20070618181228/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123027166 18 June 2007 29 May 2017 AF Space commander discusses future space capabilities 14 September 2006 Staff reporter https://www.af.mil/News/story/id/123027562/ Air Force Link https://web.archive.org/web/20090122181720/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123027562 22 January 2009 live 16 April 2009 Category:Military units and formations in California Space Control 0001 Category:Communications squadrons of the United States Air Force