 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "18th Space Defense Squadron" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| 18th Space Defense Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron emblem | |
| Active | 1966 – 1975; 1990 – 2004; 2016 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Space Force |
| Type | Space domain awareness |
| Role | Space surveillance |
| Size | 115 military and civilian |
| Part of | Space Delta 2 |
| Garrison/HQ | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California |
| Mottos | Semper vigilans in sine alto (Latin for 'Ever Vigilant in the High Frontier') We Find (1968-1995) |
| Systems |
|
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt Col Laurel Jodice |
| Insignia | |
| 18th Space Control Squadron emblem[note 1][1] |  |
| 18th Surveillance Squadron emblem[note 2] |  |
The18th Space Defense Squadron (18 SDS) is aUnited States Space ForceSpace Domain Awareness unit located atVandenberg Space Force Base,California. The 18th SDS is tasked with executing command and control of thespace surveillance network (SSN), maintaining theresident space object (RSO) database and managingUnited States Space Command's space situational awareness (SSA) sharing program to United States, foreign government, commercial, and academic entities. The squadron also conducts advanced analysis, sensor optimization, conjunction assessment, human spaceflight support, reentry/break-up assessment, and launch analysis.[2]
The mission of the 18th SDS is to provide and advance a continuous, comprehensive, and combat-relevant understanding of the space situation.[2]
Thesquadron processesSSN data to monitor all activity to, in, and from space, and maintains custody of all resident space objects. Primary mission functions include launch detection and tracking, conjunction assessment andcollision avoidance,human spaceflight support,maneuver detection,breakup identification, andreentry assessment. These functions ultimately enhance an information advantage and enable space superiority in the defense of U.S. and allied interests. Additionally, the 18 SDS also executesU.S. Space Command's Space Situational Awareness sharing program, which provides tracking data of resident space objects toDoD, interagency, commercial, international and academic partners to:
The 18th Space Surveillance Squadron (SPSS) was the optical portion of theUnited States Space Force'sSpace Surveillance Network. They were responsible for operating four worldwideGEODSS sites, in addition to the Transportable Optical System (TOS), and the Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC). The focal point for all optical command and control was centralized at the Optical Command, Control and Communications Facility (OC3F). The 18 SPSS became part of the1st Space Wing, Air Force Space Command, on 1 February 1990.
The unit was reassigned from the1st Space Wing to the73d Space Group on 15 May 1992.
The 18th SPSS relocated toEdwards Air Force Base, California in July 1995. The73rd Space Group was inactivated in May 1995 and all units were then assigned to the21st Space Wing. With a force-wide renaming of space units, the 18th SPSS became the 18th Space Control Squadron (18 SPCS) in February 2003. This renaming did not last long, however, since the unit was inactivated in June 2004, with all detachments falling under the21st Operations Group.
From 2004 to 2016, the space surveillance mission was executed by otherUSAF organizations located atCheyenne Mountain Space Force Station in Colorado, and within theCombined Space Operations Center in California.[2]
On 22 July 2016, the 18th Space Control Squadron was reactivated atVandenberg Air Force Base.[3] The squadron had a mission focused on space situational awareness in support of launches, object and debris tracking, and human spaceflight.[4][5]
On 13 April 2022, the 18th Space Control Squadron was redesignated as the18th Space Defense Squadron.[6] The change was to signify the squadron's focus on the increasingly congested and contested space domain and their critical role in providing data and information to ensure the safety, security, and sustainability of the space environment.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[14]{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
| Air Forces |  | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centers | |||||||||||||
| Bases | |||||||||||||
| Stations | |||||||||||||
| Space wings | |||||||||||||
| Air Base groups |
| ||||||||||||
| Squadrons |
| ||||||||||||
