Peterson Air Force Base - Space Control

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.