1st Space Control Squadron (United States)

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1st Space Control Squadron

1st Space Control Squadron emblem
Active 1961-Present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Space Control
Part of 14th Air Force and 614th Air and Space Operations Center
Garrison/HQ Vandenberg AFB, California and Peterson AFB, Colorado

The United States Air Force's 1st Space Control Squadron (1 SPCS) is a space control unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California and Peterson AFB, Colorado. 1 SPCS is a major force provider to the Joint Space Operations Center.

Contents

[edit] Mission

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. In Jun 1995, tracked the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis during its historic rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir. Periodically compiled a catalog of space objects.

[edit] History[1]

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"). This catalog is used by U.S. civilian and military agencies when launching new satellites into space, as well as by U.S. allies.[2]

The roots of the 1 SPCS reach back to 1961, with the Space Detection and Tracking System Center at Ent Air Force Base, CO. Through several moves, name changes, personnel, experience, and equipment, they were activated as the 1st Command and Control Squadron activated at Cheyenne Mountain AFS, CO, in December 1999, and were later redesignated in October 2001, as the 1 SPCS.

[edit] Previous designations

  • 1st Space Control Squadron (1 Oct 2001-Present)
  • 1st Command & Control Squadron (30 Nov 1989-1 Oct 2001)
  • Space Detection and Tracking System Center (1961 - ???)

[edit] Bases stationed

[edit] Decorations

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Image:Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg

  • 1 Dec 1989-31 Aug 1991
  • 1 Oct 1995-30 Sep 1997
  • 1 Oct 1997-30 Sep 1999
  • 1 Jan-31 Dec 1998
  • 1 Jan-31 Dec 1999
  • 1 Jan 2000-31 Aug 2001

[edit] References

  1. ^ [http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/02/space.junk/ Wood, D. 2005 Cataloging space junk: Working on the 'world's largest jigsaw puzzle' ]
  2. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/agency/21sw.htm FAS.org: 21st Space Wing

[edit] External links

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