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The 50th Space Wing (50 SW) is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was activated on January 30, 1992, replacing the 2d Space Wing, which was inactivated on the same date. The unit is the host wing at Schriever Air Force Base, located east of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their primary responsibility is to track and maintain the command and control, warning, navigational, and communications satellites for AFSPC.

Typical satellite monitoring tasks such as tracking and telemetry are the main part of their mission, and in so doing, they employ over 4,000 personnel (military, contractors, and DoD civilians.)

Organizational Units

The wing is divided into three groups:

  • 50th Mission Support Group
  • 50th Network Operations Group
  • 50th Operations Group

All are ostensibly located at Schriever, but personnel are emplaced at remote locations, such as remote tracking stations (RTS).

History

Lineage

  • Established as 50th Fighter Wing on 16 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Jun 1949.
  • Redesignated 50th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 1 Mar 1950. Ordered to active service on 1 Jun 1951. Inactivated on 2 Jun 1951.
  • Redesignated 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 15 Nov 1952. Activated on 1 Jan 1953.
  • Redesignated 50th Tactical Fighter Wing on 8 Jul 1958. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1991.
  • Redesignated 50th Space Wing on 1 Jan 1992. Activated on 30 Jan 1992. Also activated at Falcon AFB are the 50th Operations Group, previously named the 50th Tactical Fighter Group, and the 50th Support Group, later renamed 50th Mission Support Group. On the same date the 750th Space Group activated at Onizuka Air Force Station. These organizations took over the personnel, facilities, and missions of the inactivated 2d Space Wing.

Assignments

Stations

Satellite Tracking Facilities

The 50th maintains a number of tracking stations, which comprise a part of the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN), which are used to track, primarily, US government angencies/organizations & military satellites, as well as receive and process telemetry and send commands to these satellites. Said facilities are intended to support all Department of Defense satellites. Most tracking stations are operated by 22d Space Operations Squadron detachments. Many Sceintific and Research satellites are supported, prior, during, and after established orbits/trajectories.

Current

Previous

Each site is managed via a common user element consisting of a control node, a central scheduling facility, remote tracking sites, and communication links connecting them. AFSCN was originally activated to support the CORONA/Discoverer program in 1959. An interim satellite control center was initially established in Palo Alto, California, and by June, 1960, a permanent control center had been established Sunnyvale AFS, later renamed, Onizuka AFB Sunnyvale, California. The main operations control center, now at Schriever Air Force Base Colorado Springs, CO, and functions as a central command and control node for the remote tracking stations established at several different locations.

Emblem blazon

Azure, an opinicus passant Argent, all within a diminished bordure Or.

Modified version of 50th Fighter Group emblem approved for the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 15 Jul 1953, and reinstated on 9 Jul 1992; replaced wing emblem approved on 23 Aug 1956. Motto: MASTER OF SPACE. Approved on 10 Sep 1992.

External links

United States Air Force wings

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "50th Space Wing".

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