The

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

's 1st Space Launch Squadron was a space launch unit located at

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida. Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the statio ...

, Florida. It was responsible for USAF

Delta II Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000, and the two later Delta 7000 va ...

launches from its activation in October 1990 to its inactivation in August 2009.

History

Air Force launch operations were transferred from

Air Force Systems Command The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command. The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems. Ove ...

Air Force Space Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

in the early 1990s. Phase I of the Launch Transfer Plan began on 1 October 1990, with the redesignation of the Eastern and Western Space and Missile Centers, as the 30th and 45th Space Wings. The 1st Space Launch Squadron was activated on 1 October 1990 and became Air Force Space Command's first

launch squadron.World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. Its final launch of a Delta II was on 17 August 2009. Its final launch successfully placed the

USA-206 USA-206, also GPS SVN-50, PRN-05 and NAVSTAR 64 and known before launch as GPS IIR-21, GPS IIRM-8 or GPS IIR-21(M), is an American navigation satellite which forms part of the Navstar Global Positioning System. It was the twenty-first and last Bl ...

, or GPS IIR-21(M)

navigation satellite A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...

into orbit. The squadron was inactivated on 30 September.Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, September 2009, Maxwell AFB, AL

Lineage

* Constituted as the 1st Space Launch Squadron on 11 September 1990 : Activated on 1 October 1990 : Inactivated on 30 September 2009

Assignments

* Eastern Space and Missile Center, 1 October 1990 *

45th Operations Group The 45th Operations Group was a United States Space Force unit. It was assigned to 45th Space Wing, stationed at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. In May 2021, it was inactivated upon the redesignation of the 45th Space Wing to Spac ...

, 12 November 1991 *

45th Launch Group The 45th Launch Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 45th Space Wing, stationed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Overview The 45th Launch Group participates in receipt, inspection, processing, test, and l ...

, 1 December 2003 – 30 September 2009

Stations

, Florida, 1 October 1990 – 30 September 2009

Space Launch Vehicles

* Delta II, 1990-2009

References

Notes

External links

United States Air Force: Patrick Air Force Base
{{USAF Space Command 0001 Space Launch 0001