1st Space Operations Squadron

Unofficial 1st Aerospace Surveillance and Control Squadron emblem[lower-alpha 1]

The squadron was originally organized on 14 February 1961, as the 1st Aerospace Surveillance and Control Squadron, a unit of Air Defense Command[4] and became operational on 1 July 1961[5] as the SPACETRACK[6] component of NORAD Space Detection and Tracking System (SPADATS). It was the operational version of research and development Project Space Track. Effective 1 October 1961, the Squadron was assigned to the 9th Aerospace Defense Division, which had been activated on 15 July 1961.[7] The squadron name changed to 1st Aerospace Control Squadron on 1 July 1962.[1]

Until April 1966, when operations were moved to the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex, The squadron was located on the bottom two floors of Ent Air Force Base building P4 Annex, a former hospital building, adjacent to the NORAD command center.[8][1]

The squadron was responsible for tracking all artificial earth satellites, space probes, carrier rockets, and debris, US and foreign. The mission included detecting additional objects previously unknown and maintaining a complete catalogue. It controlled a global network of ground sensors. It was the operational version of research and development Project Space Track and the Space Track component of NORAD's Space Detection and Tracking System[9]

1st Aerospace Control Squadron emblem (approved 6 February 1962[10][lower-alpha 2]

The squadron had essentially the same set of sensors used by Project Space Track, with the addition of two additional Baker-Nunn cameras, one of which was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force at RCAF Station Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. In March 1961, the Laredo Air Force Base sensor was transferred from Air Research and Development Command to Air Defense Command. It was operated by Detachment 1 of the squadron.[11] In January 1968, the System 440L over-the-horizon radar reached initial operational capability.[8] In 1968, SPACETRACK was also supported by the Royal Radar Establishment at Great Malvern, England.[8] By mid-1969, three USAF Baker-Nunn cameras were operated in support of SPACETRACK under the 18th Surveillance Squadron, despite questions about their on-going utility in view of increasing radar tracking accuracies.[12] An AN/FPS-85 phased array radar became operational at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in May 1970.

The squadron initially made orbital predictions by computing ephemerides based on standard Kepler orbits. As a satellite got lower into the atmosphere, drag made it difficult to forecast the ephemeris of the satellite accurately.[13]^: 3 By 1962, the situation was somewhat better. The Soviet satellite Sputnik 4 was slowly entering lower orbits because of atmospheric drag. Using a new program, (Satellite General Perturbations Differential Corrections) and observations from the radar at Shemya Air Force Station, the orbital analyst plotted the changing orbital period and was able to predict the exact revolution on which the satellite reentered the atmosphere.[lower-alpha 3] To make progress in automating ephemeris forecasts, Aeronutronic and TRW Inc. developed sophisticated new programs. Squadron orbital analysts evaluated the two programs. The Aeronutronic submission was named Spiral Decay and the TRW submission, Electronic Systems Precision Orbit Determination (ESPOD). ESPOD had been developed for Program 437, an anti-satellite program, to enable computation of trajectories for satellite intercept.

As a demonstration of the effectiveness of Spiral Decay, the program was used to forecast the reentry of Soviet Kosmos 23. Public media had been alerted to the impending decay and many people in Canada saw the fiery reentry. One racetrack even dimmed the lights to enhance the show. Spiral Decay was considered a more sophisticated program than ESPOD and used less computer time to attain more accurate results. It was selected as the standard for analysis, significantly helping predict future decay trajectories. It was also adopted as the primary computer capability for weapon engagement and was useful in more precisely locating sensors, such at the radar at Dyarbakir Air Station, Turkey.[14]

On 1 March 1965, the rocket body of Kosmos 61 exploded between revolutions 1 and 2, giving 1st Aero another challenge to catalog the many fragments. Because the orbital period was 106 minutes, the fragments would not decay quickly. Two computer programs, SPACESWEEP and ALTEC, aided automation of the task but, when Cosmos 200 broke up on 23 January 1968, the breakup created severe problems for the Space Defense Center because of the amount of manual work needed.[12] Also in March 1965, the Special Projects Division was supporting evaluation of the upgraded Shemya radar and the associated computer, in a project nicknamed Blue Fox. Blue Fox used both Spiral Decay and ESPOD to determine the accuracy of the new Shemya system, tracking satellites Transit 2A and ANNA 1B, a Navy geodetic satellite. The Blue Fox results, showing radar range biases of 129 meters or less, proved that the Shemya AN/FPS-80M was now the most accurate tracking radar in the system.[12]

Orbital elements computed by the squadron, along with those computed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, were included in the Satellite Situation Reports regularly published by the Goddard Center.[15])

In April 1961 a Philco 2000 computer was installed for dedicated squadron use. It was considered the fastest computer in the world at the time of installation.[16]^: 1 It still used IBM punched cards for data entry and was infamous for devouring the cards. The computer was programmed using Fortran for batch processing and the TAC assembly language for other work.[17] However, Orbital Analysts still had Friden Square Root Calculators on their desks, a necessary tool.

Project Space Track at Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts was the backup facility for squadron operations. About 49 hours before the 1st Squadron became operational, the Navy's Transit 4A carrier rocket exploded. Orbital analysts at the 1st and at Hanscom achieved a landmark in satellite tracking by identifying 296 of the fragments. On 5 June 1962, the relationship with Hanscom was formalized when several squadron officers activates the Space Track Center Alternate Facility at Hanscom.[12] From 25 March to 6 April 1962, squadron orbital computations were transferred to Project Space Track while the Ent computer was being modified.

In mid-1962, the NORAD Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence expressed appreciation for the information and technical assistance the squadron provided in support of NORAD analysis of the Soviet Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 operations.[18]

A new Soviet launch, which occurred on 1 November 1963. In plotting the observations made by the BMEWS radar at RAF Fylingdales, England, and other sensors the data showed an apparent change in the satellite's orbital period. The data indicated that the Soviets had boosted the satellite, changing its orbit. This confirmed a boast by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev that the Soviets had a maneuverable satellite, something that had been treated with some disbelief by the intelligence community.[19] It is now known that the satellite, called Polyot, was in fact a prototype orbital carrier rocket for an anti-satellite system. Only one other Polyot was launched (in April 1964); the system never became operational.

In mid-1965, there was concern that two Soviet satellites had attempted a rendezvous in space. Aeronutronic technicians combined the existing Xroads and Groundtrack programs into a new program that could compare the relative positions of two satellites. This enabled the duty orbital analyst to prove that a rendezvous had not taken place.[lower-alpha 4]

In 1966, the Gemini IV astronauts saw what appeared to be a nearby space object. The COMBO program did not identify any nearby satellites. Shortly thereafter a short movie clip of the mystery object taken by the astronauts indicated it was probably something associated with the spacecraft, perhaps dangling from a tether.[20]

Squadron operations were based on the techniques developed at Project Space Track. By 1962,[21] initial observations were processed by the Report Association Program which ran automatically twice a day plus twice for BMEWS data. The program associated observations with known orbits. The output of the program, plus data from the Checker Program, was sent to the duty space surveillance officer and technician for review with some assistance from the duty orbital analyst as needed.

Other special duty orbital analyst activity occurred when a satellite neared decay. When the orbital period fell below 90 minutes, the duty space surveillance officer notified the duty orbital analyst and a special analyst was normally assigned to monitor the decay. In the unusual case of the decay of a Discoverer recovery vehicle that had not come down where programmed, the duty orbital analyst had access to a special computer program, which provided a sub-satellite trace for one revolution, to assist in specifying the track. New friendly launches were handled by a duty orbital analyst dedicated to the task but, in the case of new Soviet launches, an analyst for intelligence was assigned.

Analysis of interplanetary and lunar probe launches were handled by Special Project Analysts, who had several special astrodynamic programs to assist in computations. The Encke program was used when the vehicle was within 125 earth radii and the Interplanetary program, adjusting for planetary perturbations, for vehicles beyond that distance. The Special Project Analysts also handled special requests for such things as very accurate orbital elements or decay information for a satellite (as might be required by research or educational groups). These analysts also monitored incoming technical papers, attended technical meetings to obtain information which was of use to the mission, and monitored improvements in decay forecasts.

1st Satellite Control Squadron emblem.

1st Space Operations Squadron emblem.

On 5 October 1987, the squadron was reactivated, renamed the 1st Satellite Control Squadron, and began its ever-growing satellite control mission. On 16 February 1988, the squadron began its first commanding on the DSP constellation.

The Space Operations Center (SOC) was operationally turned over to AFSPC on 21 December 1989. The SOC increased its mission on 20 February 1990, when the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program mission was operationally turned over. In May 1996, satellite command authority for the first research and development satellite controlled by AFSPC, Technology for Autonomous Operational Survivability, was given to 1st SOPS.

On 4 December 1998, the squadron assumed command and control capability on the Midcourse Space Experiment, which became an operational program on 1 October 2000, with the first-ever transfer of operations from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization to AFSPC.

Operated Space Detection and Tracking System Center, tracking and cataloging man-made objects in space, 1961-1976. Satellite command and control for the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, and the Defense Support Program, 1987-.

• Air Defense Command, 6 February 1961 (not organized)
• 9 Aerospace Defense Division, 1 October 1961
• Fourteenth Aerospace Force, 1 July 1968 – 21 April 1976
• 2d Space Wing, 5 October 1987
• 50th Operations Group, 30 January 1992 – 24 July 2020[1][29]
• Space Delta 9, 24 July 2020 – Present[29]

• Ent Air Force Base, Colorado, 14 February 1961
• Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado, April 1966 - 21 April 1976
• Falcon Air Force Station (later Falcon Air Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base), Colorado, 5 October 1987 – present[1]

• Global Positioning System (December 1989-December 2007)[2]
• Defense Support Program (February 1988-before 2008)[2]
• Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (December 1989-c 1996)[2]
• Technology for Autonomous Operational Survivability (STEP Mission O) (May 1996-after 1997)[2]
• DoD boosters (May 2003-March 2009)[2]
• Space Based Space Surveillance (September 2010 – present)[2]
• Midcourse Space Experiment (October 2000-July 2008)[2][30]
• Miniature Sensor Technology Integration-3 1st and 3d Space Operations Squadron members were deployed to Alexandria, VA control center from March - September 1996 on a 50 SW/CC initiative to bring tactical satellite command and control to Air Force Space Command. After they completed their deployment, the MSTI-3 command and control continued by SMC/TE (Onizuka AS, CA and Kirtland AFB, NM; now Space Development and Test Wing, Kirtland AFB) until the satellite was successfully deorbited on 11 December 1997.

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.