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Peterson Air Force Base - Space Control
Space surveillance is a critical element of the space control
mission and will be vitally important to support future theater
missile operations and assured availability of U.S. space
forces. Desert Storm proved once again that whoever controls the
high ground has definite military advantage.
In addition to its wartime missions, space surveillance is
important during peacetime. As part of the space surveillance
mission, the wing operates command and control as well as active
and passive surveillance units. More than 9,500 manmade objects
in orbit around the earth, ranging in size from a baseball to
the Mir Space Station, are regularly tracked. Knowing the orbits
of those objects is essential to prevent collisions when a new
satellite is launched.
The 1st Space Control Squadron, Cheyenne Mountain AFS, provide
collision avoidance support during each shuttle mission as well
as maintain an extensive satellite catalog. This catalog is used
by U.S. civilian and military agencies when launching new
satellites into space, as well as by U.S. allies.
The 20th Space Surveillance Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., provides
dedicated active radar space surveillance. In addition, other
collateral and contributing missile warning and research radars
are used to support the surveillance mission.
The wing also controls and operates optical space tracking
systems under the 18th SPSS, Edwards AFB, Calif. The
Ground–Based Electro–Optical Deep Space Surveillance system, or
GEODSS, is operated by Detachment 1, Socorro, N.M.; Detachment
2, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories; Detachment 3,
Maui, Hawaii; and Det 4, 18 SPSS at Moron, Spain.
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