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| 5th Space Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 5th Space Operations Squadron | |
| Active | 1989–1992; 1993–2000; 2024–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Space Force |
| Role | Technology demonstration |
| Part of | Space Delta 9 |
| Headquarters | Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling, Washington D.C. |
| Motto | Scanning the Globe (1989–1994) Pioneers of Space (1994–present)[1] |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2] |
| Insignia | |
| 5th Space Operations Squadron emblem(approved 9 December 1994)[2] |  |
| 5th Satellite Control Squadron emblem(approved 25 August 1989)[1] |  |
The5th Space Operations Squadron (5 SOPS) is aUnited States Space Force unit responsible for operating theX-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. It is located atJoint Base Anacostia–Bolling,District of Columbia.
The 5th Expeditionary Space Operations Squadron (ESOPS), originally part of theAir Force Satellite Control Facility, was provisionally established as Operating Location-A of the750th Space Group on 1 October 1992. It was officially activated on 22 November 1993 under the 50th Operations Group. The formation followed the division of the Air Force Satellite Control Facility into the 2nd Space Test Group and the Consolidated Space Test Center (CSTC) on 1 October 1987, coinciding with theAir Force Space Command's acquisition ofOnizuka Air Force Base (later Onizuka Air Station).
In the year it was established, the 5th ESOPS assumed the responsibilities of the2nd Satellite Tracking Group Operations Division and the 1999th Communications Squadron Operations Division. Following the 1995Base Realignment and Closure Committee's directives, the 21st Space Operations Squadron (SOS) assumed the functions of the 750th Space Group, its subordinate units, and the 5th Space Operations Squadron.
Shortly after its establishment, the squadron undertook a number of operations, including the launch of a DSCS III and a NATO IV communications satellite, support for the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, and the deployment of the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) for NASA missions. These missions encompassed the launch of all seven Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) and three interplanetary spacecraft: Galileo to Jupiter, Magellan to Venus, and Ulysses to the Sun.
The 5th ESOPS was deactivated in 2000. On 3 June 2024, the unit was reactivated as part ofSpace Delta 9 under theUnited States Space Force to oversee operations of theX-37B Orbital Test Vehicle.[3]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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