18th Space Control Squadron

18th Space Surveillance Squadron
18th Space Surveillance Squadron emblem
Active 1966-1975; 1990-2004; 2016-Present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Space Control
Role Optical Space Surveillance
Part of Air Force Space Command/14th Air Force/1st Space Wing/73d Space Surveillance Group
Garrison/HQ Edwards AFB, California
Motto(s) SEMPER VIGILANS IN SINE ALTO - "Ever Vigilant in the High Frontier"
Decorations AFOUA

The United States Air Force's 18th Space Control Squadron (18 SPCS) is a space surveillance unit located at Edwards AFB, California. Reactivated in 2016, the 18th SPCS operates optical sensors such as the Ground-based Electro Optical Deep Space System (GEODSS).

Mission

The mission of the 18th SPCS is to provide direct support to USCINCSPACE’s space control mission through optical space surveillance. This includes detection, tracking, identification, and special signature collection of near space and deep space objects.

History

The 18th Space Surveillance Squadron (SPSS) was the optical portion of the United States Air Force's Space Surveillance Network. They were responsible for operating four worldwide GEODSS sites, in addition to the Transportable Optical System (TOS), and the Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC). The focal point for all optical command and control was centralized at the Optical Command, Control and Communications Facility (OC3F). The 18 SPSS became part of the 1st Space Wing, Air Force Space Command, on 1 February 1990.

The unit was reassigned from the 1st Space Wing to the 73d Space Group on 15 May 1992.

The 18th SPSS relocated to Edwards Air Force Base, California in July 1995. The 73rd Space Group was inactivated in May 1995 and all units were then assigned to the 21st Space Wing. With a force-wide renaming of space units, the 18th SPSS became the 18th Space Control Squadron (18 SPCS) in February 2003. This renaming did not last long, however, since the unit was inactivated in June 2004, with all detachments falling under the 21st Operations Group.

On 22 July 2016, the 18th Space Control Squadron was reinstated at Vandenberg Air Force Base.[1] The squadron has a mission focused on space situational awareness in support of launches, object and debris tracking, and human spaceflight.[2][3]

Assignments

Major Command

Numbered Air Force

Wing/Group

Detachments

Previous designations[5]

  • 18th Space Control Squadron (February 2003 - June 2004)
  • 18th Space Surveillance Squadron (1 November 1966 – 1 October 1975; 1 February 1990-???)

Bases stationed

Equipment Operated[6]

Decorations

References

  1. ↑ "21st Space Wing stands up new space control squadron". Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  2. ↑ "18th Space Control Squadron Mission Brief" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  3. ↑ CBS News (1 April 2018) Tiangong 1: Chinese satellite falls to Earth, mostly burns up on re-entry
  4. ↑ "Fact Sheets : Det 4, 21st Operations Group : Det 4, 21st Operations Group". Archived from the original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  5. ↑ Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
  6. ↑ World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3
  7. ↑ Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991) Archived 2 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ AFSPC Special Order GA-58, 6 December 1999
  9. ↑ AFSPC Special Order GA-62, 6 December 1999
  10. ↑ AFSPC Special Order GA-09, 1 November 1997
  11. ↑ AFHRA factsheet: 18th Space Control Squadron

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