AIR FORCE SATEWTE CONTROL FA

HISTORICAL. BRIEF AND CHRONOLOGY.

1954 - PRESENT
9

UNCLASSIFIED

AIR FORCE SATELLITE CONTROL FACILITY

HISTORICAL BRIEF AND CHRONOLOGY 

1954 - PRESENT

Prepared by

MSgt Roger A. Jernigan

AFSCF History Office M1GRORIMED BY WA

19 JUN 1989

This document may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the

permission of the office of origin - AFSCF/HO, Sunnyvale AFS, CA 94086.

Questions and/or suggestions concerning the contents of this document

may be directed to the office of origin.

UNCLASSIFIED
FOREWORD 

This expanded historical brief and chronology of the Air Force

Satellite Control Facility is the first ever to be published.

Initial publication and distribution is timed to coincide with

the 35th anniversary observance of the U.S. Air Force during

1982. The "space age" is now nearly as old, dating to 1957 and

the launch of Sputnik I by the Soviet Union.

The rudiments of that space age may be traced even deeper into

the past to 1926. In that year, Robert Goddard, "father of

American rocketry," designed the first liquid-propellent rocket

which was launched to an altitude of 41 feet. Although he

continued to design rockets through the 1930's, he was somewhat

ignored in his own country, but his work was not disregarded in

Germany.

In 1932, a 20 year-old German physicist was placed in charge of

a rocket-development center south of Berlin. Later, he and his

engineering team moved to a new center at Peenemuende, on the

Baltic coast, where they developed the renowned V-2 rocket.

The physicist was Wernher von Braun.

He and more than 100 colleagues surrendered to American troops

in 1945. TWo decades later, working for NASA, von Braun developed

Saturn rockets which overcame the Soviet Union's early lead in

space and put Americans on the moon.

Most of the publicity in the 1960's regarding the U.S. space program

was devoted, and deservedly so, to manned space missions. The

advances in satellite technology and applications were less well

known except to those persons directly involved. This historical

brief and chronology relate the story of the AFSCF. Manned space

events are included since most received AFSCF support. Annual

updates will be sent to all recipients of this publication.

This document was compiled from materials and information found

in the official histories and archives of the AFSCF. It is

dedicated to all those professionals who have served or are

currently serving at Sunnyvale and SCF worldwide locations.

For more details regarding separate events reported in this

document, please visit your AFSCF History Office.

)011r

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, MSgt, USAF.

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ii
Title Page 

tat

Foreword 

Table of Contents

Lineage, 6594th Test Wing and AFSCF

List of I llustrations ..

. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ... iv

HISTORICAL B/IEF . . . .

The. Evolution of • • • the Air fo;c; Satellite Control Facility

Ballistic Missile Development (1954-1965)

• • • • Sputnik and Weapon System 1171 

Palo Alto Field Office 

•

•

1

1

1

2

Early Operational Support 3

Early Advances 

Sunnyvale .. . . . . . . . . . ...........

4

5

-The Single Manager Concept 

The AFSCF

7

8

SCF Milestones (1966 - Present) 10

12

CHRONOLOGY (1954-1981) 

15

APPENDICES

1 - AFSCF Commanders 111

2 - Tracking Station Lineage

...

112

3 - Satellites • • • •

.... 113

Explorer XVIII 114

Vela I 114

IDCSP 115

TACSAT 116

Skynet/NATO II 117

DSCS II 118

Skynet II 119

NATO III 120

FLTSATCOM 121

NavStar/GPS 122

4 - Lineage of AFSCF Subordinate Units 123

124

GLOSSARY

138

INDEX

142

iii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Pale

SCF Data Handling Network 11

Discoverer Block System Diagram .

. . • . . . .......... 21

Telemetry 18 Antenna System 25

Tracking and Display Antenna System 26

Command Transmitter/Radar Vans and Verlort Antenna 27

Disc-on-Rod Antenna 28

STC Layout - 1961 . . . . . • . . .. .... . . . . ...... 31

Typical Recovery Sequence 37

Syncom 41

Twin Vela Satellites 46

SCF System Design 49

STC Computer Room (Overall Layout - 1964) 53

1964 STC Control Area 56

Mid-1960's Tracking Station Configuration 65

Multiple IDCSP Satellite Launch Model 70

System Design 1967-70 77

NATO/Skynet International Satellite .

. . .. ; .. . • • • • • • 81

Aerial View of AFSCF Facility 1971 83

DSCS II Satellite 86

Interim Wideband Comm Block Diagram 92

Typical Experiment - Space Test Program 94

Block 5D Satellite (DMSP1 96

SOPC Configuration - 1977 Proposal 99

NavStar/GPS Satellite 103

Space Shuttle 109

iv
LINEAGE

.15241951.42i

AIR FORCE SATELLITE CONTROL FACILITY AFSCF

Air Force Ballistic Missile

Division (AFBMD), of the

Air Research and Development

Command (ARDC), activated a

field office at the Lockheed

Missile and. Space Division

Facility, Palo Alto,

California, effective

15 Aug 58.

AFMB Ops Ord Field Office responsible

2-58, 1 Aug 58 for Program HA (Thor

aspects of WS 117L), and

development and testing

to achieve early orbital

capability with Thor

booster plus assist Manin-Space program.

Hq 6594th Test Wing designated ARDC GO 38, and organized at Palo Alto 3 Apr 59

Lockheed Facility, eff 2 Apr

59. Assigned to ARDC with

administrative and operational

control exercised by Det 2, ARDC.

First military unit charged

with military satellite

operations. Interim satellite control facility had

been established in Jan 59

for supporting Midas, Samos,

and Discoverer programs.

AFMB Ltr,

22 Jun 59

ARDC GO 231.,

13 Nov 59

ARDC SO 2,

4 Jan 60

AFBMD di sestablished Palo Alto

Field Office and transferred

all personnel to Hq 6594th

Test Wing, eff 1 Jun 59.

ARDC reassigned Hq 6594th

Test Wing from Hq ARDC to

Hq AFBMD eff 15 Nov 59.

ARDC redesignaied 6594th Test

Wing as Hq 6594th Test Wing

(Satellite) with no change in

station or assignment.

. Consolidated Field Office

and satellite control center

with the new wing. •

No change in station for

6594th Test Wing. AFBMD

activated in Los Angeles

as part of ARDC reorganization.

Test Wing acquired a more

descriptive designation.

Hist, 6594th

Test Wing (Sat),

1 Jul-31 Dec 60,

p 1.

Hq 6594th Test Wing (Sat)

moved from Palo Alto to

Lockheed Missile and Space

Division Facility, Sunnyvale,

California, 1 Mar 60.

Acquired added space for

Test Wing facilities. At

AFBMD, a satellite control

office was established and

a command and control contract

was issued to Lockheed thus

seperating the satellite control function as an entity

rather than as part of one or

more general contracts being

handled by AFBMD.
ARDC order formally announced

movement of 6594th Test Wing

(Satellite) to Sunnyvale,

1 Apr 60.

6594th Test Wing (Sat)

reassigned from AFBMD to

Space Systems Division

(SSD), Air Force Systems

Command (AFSC), formerly

ARDC, eff 1 Apr 61.

AFSC redesignated the 6594th

Test Wing (Satellite) as the

6594th Aerospace Test Wing,

eff 1 Nov 61.

AFSCF designated and organized

with Hq at Los Angeles and

assignment to SSD. Det 1,

AFSCF, designated and organized

together with 6594th Air Base

Squadron at Sunnyvale. 6594th

Aerospace Test Wing discontinued, eff 1 Jul 65.

AFSCF reassigned from SSD to

new Space and Missile Systems

Organization (SAMSO), eff

1 Jul 67.

Det 1, Sunnyvale, inactivated

with personnel and functions

reassigned to Hq AFSCF, eff

1 Jul 77.

AFSCF's parent organization,

SAMSO, redesignated as Space

Division (SD), eff 1 Oct 79.

ARDC GO 74,

7 Jul 60

AFSC GO 3,

1 Apr 61

AFSC SO G-174,

25 Oct 61

AFSC SO G-52,

21 Jun 65

AFSC SO 6-55

AFSC SO 6-58,

3 May 77

Secretary of

the Air Force

announcement,

Sep 79; AFSC

SO G-145,

18 Sep 79

Air Force reorganization

which formed three new

commands, including AFSC.

No change in station or

personnel; redesignation

made concurrently with

similar actions pertaining

to test wings at Patrick

and Vandenberg AFB's.

AFSC approved "Satellite

Control Facility" as the

designation of the new

organization created from

a merger of SSD's Deputy.

for Space Test Operations

and the 6594th Aerospace

Test Wing. Created "more

flexible, efficient,

organization capable of

performing all satellite

control functions.

SAMSO formed by merging

Space Systems Division

and Ballistic Systems

Division.

Hq AFSCF relocated from Los

Angeles to Sunnyvale and the

Satellite Test Center. Move

completed on or about 8 July.

(AFSC Movement Order 1,

16 Mar 77)

Air Force realignment of

space and missile systems

research, development, and

acquisition elements.

vi
Historical Brief

THE EVOLUTION OF THE AIR FORCE SATELLITE CONTROL FACILITY

Ballistic Missile Development (1954 - 1965) 

The Air Force Satellite Control Facility (AFSCF), Sunnyvale Air Force

Station California, traces its origin to the Air Force ballistic missile

development program and establishment of a west coast field office to manage

the nation's first i ntercontinental ballistic missile, the Atlas.

On 1 July 1954, the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC)

activated the Western Development Division (WDD) in southern California.

The WDD was charged with accelerating the development of the Atlas missile.

Under the command of Brigadier General Bernard A. Schriever, the WDD made

many advances in the Atlas program during the next year, and by the end of

1955, the division was given additional tasks, e.g., developing an intermediate range ballistic missile (Thor), and achieving initial operating

capability (IOC) with the missile systems it was building. Early program

urgency Tessoned in early 1956 and 1957 as the Eisenhower administration

•

made large cuts in defense spending to balance its budget.

On 1 June 1957, the WDD was redesignated as the Air Force Ballistic

Missile Division (AFBM0), and on 20 September, the first successful Thor

IRBM was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first successful

Atlas launch followed with a short-range flight on 17 December.
Sputnik and Weapon System 117L

Between the initial Thor and Atlas launches, the Soviet Union used an

ICBM to place the world's first man-made satellite, Sputnik I, into earth

orbit on 4 October 1957. The impact of that event on the Air Force missile

and emerging space programs was immediate. Both gathered momentum as funding

increased and previous program priorities were reinstated.

One of the early space projects ----a portion of which is the antecedent

of our present AFSCF----was Weapon System 117L, an advanced military satellite system. Previously, on 29 October 1956, Lockheed Missile Systems

Division had been designated as primary contractor for the 1171 system and

its associated Agena upper stage vehicle. Most of the required electronics

were then subcontracted to Philco Ford in 1957. That year indeed marked the

entry of the world into the space age, and the U.S. space program was

accelerated "at the maximum rate consistent with good management."

Within days of the Sputnik launch, an Air Force Scientific Advisory

Board, Ad Hoc Committee on Advanced Weapons Technology and Environment,

urged the development of second generation ballistic missiles for use as

weapon systems and space boosters. High priorities were established for

development of military satellite systems for communications, weather

prediction, and other purposes. The committee also recommended that the

AFBMD become a permanent organization for missile and space satellite

projects. To that end, both the Thor and Atlas were recommended as basic
satellite booster systems eventually serving as the backbone of U.S.

space programs through the late 1970's using a wide variety of upper

stages (Agena, Delta, Centaur, Burner II); supporting manned and

unmanned space projects of the Air Force and the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA).

Palo Alto Field'Office 

In .1957, General Thomas D. White, Air Force Chief of Staff,

announced the transfer of ballistic missile operational programs,

IOC facilities, and planning from AFBMD to the Strategic Air Command

in a move to speed the ballistic missile operational capability.

Shortly thereafter, on 7 February 1958, Secretary of Defense

Neil H. McElroy activated the Advanced Research Projects Agency

(ARPA) for the management of all Department of Defense (DOD) space

programs during their research and development phases. At this time

the original program plan for WS 1171 called for launches from Cape

Canaveral supported by tracking facilities at that location, the

Grand Bahamas, Ascension, and Hawaii. In March 1958 that program

turned to the Western Test Range where added tracking support was

available, particularly for the Discoverer program, through Vandenberg

AFB, California; Point Mugu, California; Keene Point, Hawaii; and

Kodiak, Alaska. Thus, the SCF's predecessor evolved from a twostation network for supporting WS 1171 to a five-station Discoverer

program support capable network. The system now included Very Long

Range Tracking (verlort) radars for tracking and commanding, and a

VHF, FM/FM system for telemetry. The initial data system capable of

supporting a digital antenna system and relatively simple payload

3
was developed at the Vandenberg Tracking Station. Analysis of then present

and future data handling req

uirements in early 1958 yielded a system consisting

of Programmable Integrated Control Equipment (PICE) working in conj unction with

a CDC 1604 computer. The PICE/1604 system was then installed at VTS, NHS, and

the STC. Responsibility for WS 117L was transferred from AFBMD to ARPA on

30 June. Development and testing for WS 117E continued to be the 

responsibility of the AFBMD, and on 15 August 1958, a field office 

was activated in

Palo Alto, California, with 20 personnel assigned. Its mission was to achieve

an early orbital capability with the Thor and to support an Aero-biomedical

program designed to assist in the development of our man-in-space program.

In that same month, Headquarters ARDC organized the 6593rd Test Squadron

(Special) at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. That squadron was the forerunner of tmday's

6594th Test Group assigned to the AFSCF and stationed in Hawaii.

Early Operational Support 

Lockheed completed an interim satellite control center in Palo Alto in

January 1959. During the launch of Discoverer I on 28 February, the interim

facility received a total of 514 seconds of telemetry from the world's first

polar orbiting satellite. That mission was the first to use a Thor as a space

booster and it also represented the first successful flight test of Lockheed's

Agena A upper stage vehicle designed for orbiting U.S. satellite systems.

On 6 April 1959, Headquarters ARDC established the first military unit to

be charged with conducting military satellite operations -- the 6594th Test

Wing. With its headquarters at the Lockheed, Palo Alto location and eight

subordinate units, the new organization possessed 2,704 validated manning

spaces. Three operating locations were assigned -- Edwards AFB (0L-1);
Chiniak, Alaska (OL-2); and Annette Island, Alaska (OL-3). In June

the AFBMD field office was disestablished and its personnel were

transferred to the new wing. In addition, the 6593rd Test Squadron

(Special) was reassigned to the new organization. By the end of 1959,

the Vandenberg, Hawaii, and New Hampshire Tracking Stations had joined

the wing along with the 6594th Recovery Control Group to which the

6593rd was reassigned. Also in late 1959, an overall reorganization

and decentralization of ARDC transpired. Headquarters AFBMD was

constituted and activated at Los Angeles, California. During the . •

reorganization process, the 6594th Test Wing. at Palo Alto was

reassigned from Hq ARDC to Headquarters AFBMD effective 15 November.

After a DOD decision led to reassignment of all Defense Department

satellite and space vehicle programs to the military services having

primary interest, the Discoverer, MIDAS, and SAMOS programs were

approved for transfer back to AFBMD from ARPA. All three of those

programs were originally part of the WS 117L program which AFBMD had

managed from its inception until 1958 when ARPA assumed responsibility.

Sunnyvale 

On 15 January 1960, ARDC redesignated Headquarters 6594th Test Wing

as Headquarters 6594th Test Wing (Satellite). On 1 March the 6594th

moved from Palo Alto to Sunnyvale where an interim control center was

established in the Lockheed complex. By the end of June, the Satellite

Test Center (STC) was activated on a portion of 11.4 acres of land

purchased by the Air Force in the southeast corner of the Lockheed area.
6

The 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) assumed initial responsibility for flight

operations previously belonging to Lockheed as the primary contractor for

WS 117L, and on 7 July 1960, the facilities located at Sunnyvale were

officially designated as the "Satellite Test Annex (STA)," under the

jurisdiction of AFBMD. In August the 6593rd Test Squadron (Special)

achieved two important "firsts." On the 11th the squadron performed a

surface recovery of a data capsule from Discoverer XIII in the Pacific

Ocean near Hawaii. Although the planned mid-air recovery was not made,

the event marked the first successful recovery of a man-made object

ejected from an orbiting satellite. On 30 August, the unit's Captain

Harold E. Mitchell flew a C-119J "Flying Boxcar" to the location of a

descending Discoverer XIV capsule northwest of Hawaii and accomplished

the first successful aerial recovery of an object returned from orbit.

Notwithstanding the successful recovery with the C-119J aircraft, a

development program was begun to convert to the more powerful C-130

aircraft and acquire helicopters for performing necessary water retrieval.

On 6 February 1961, the satellite control operations center was moved

from its temporary location to a new satellite control room in Building

1001 where Lockheed personnel conducted the first multiple satellite

operations for two Discoverer satellites on 17 and 18 February. Although

the test wing assumed initial flight operations responsibility after the

move to Sunnyvale, it was not until April 1961 that the wing became totally

responsible for STA operations and for direct supervision of all technical

and logistical support. Until then, Lockheed had actually operated the STA

with the 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) acting as a monitor.
7

The assumption of total responsibility by the test wing came after

a 1 April Air Force reorganization resulting in the formation of three

new commands, including the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC). From

the former ARDC and Air Materiel Command, a new Space Systems Division

(SSD) was formed with responsibility for military space systems and

boosters. The SSD was positioned under the Deputy Commander of AFSC

for Aerospace Systems in Los Angeles. As part of the reorganization,

the 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) at Sunnyvale was assigned to SSD.

On 1 November 1961, the test wing was redesignated Headquarters 6594th

Aerospace. Test Wing while remaining assigned to SSD, predecessor of

the Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAM), and today's Space

Division (SD) at Los. Angeles. By the end of 1961, the Flight Test

Support element moved from Palo Alto to the STA where the central

control morns capable of supporting up to three satellites simul-

.

taneously. All-computerized operations were a reality with addition

of a second CDC 1604 computer system and other equipment installations

completed in December.

SEQCM see note*

Earl y Advances

In 1962 the network consisted of the Satellite Test Annex at

Sunnyvale and tracking stations at Vandenberg, Kodiak, Hawaii, New

Boston, Thule Annette Island, and Fort Greely, Alaska. No two

stations were configured identically. A variety of telemetry, tracking

and commanding (TT&C) systems existed to match the peculiar requirements

of each of the more than 10 programs being supported.
The Multi-Satellite Augmentation (Augie) Program was developed and

approved in order to simplify, standardize, and add capacity to the network

for handling and processing the increasing workload. The so-called

"augmented" communications consisted of links with the Kodiak, Point Mugu,

New Boston, Thule, Vandenberg, and Kaena Point stations. Secure circuits

were available to Annette Island, Vandenberg, Kodiak, Kaena Point, and

New Boston, with an additional 100 word per minute circuit to Fort Monmouth.

During 1962, 100 wpm full duplex secure circuits were installed and approved

for passing information between the STA and its operating locations.

On 10 October, the Deputy Commander for Aerospace Systems was inactivated

at Los Angeles making the Space Systems Division and Ballistic Systems

Division completely independent and reporting directly to Hq AFSC.

The Indian Ocean Station joined the network in August 1963 to support

the first Vela satellite launch. Three other stations were also equipped

with the TT&C systems required by Vela. Due to program reorientation, the

Fort Greely station was placed in caretaker status in mid-year. Similarly,

the Annette Island station was deleted and permanently discontinued. A new

integrated TT&C system was conceived -- the Space-Ground Link Subsystem (SGLS).

The Single Manager Concept 

Another turning point in the history of U.S. military space programs came

on 20 November 1963. On that date the Defense Department announced that the

Navy Missile Facility at Point Arguello, California, and the Navy tracking

stations in the Pacific would be transferred to the Air Force which would

become the single manager for ICBM and space tracking activities.
9

That action included control of the Atlantic and Pacific Missile

Ranges, and the satellite control facilities at Sunnyvale, combining

them under a single component of the Air Force. Concurrently with

the announcement, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamera directed

the Satellite Control Facility be "nationalized" to serve as a

nucleus for development of one orbital facility for all DOD programs.

While it was clear that the facility would continue under Air Force

management, its development, operation, and management required

continuing high level interfaces between the Air Force, DOD, and

NASA. Effective management of the SCF, then as now, had national

significance and most actions relating to it received national

scrutiny. The Secretary of Defense thus considered it imperative

that the two separate SSD organizations concerned with planning and

operating the SCF be integrated into a single organizational element

under a single manager.

The "best-fit" organization that responded to "program support

without degradation, a single element, and centralized control," was

one which maintained its planning and implementation actions at the

same location as most of the programs concerned, i.e., Los Angeles.

The initial proposed name for this organization was "Air Force Satellite

Control Range," subsequently changed to "Satellite Control Facility."

Planning for the organization included designation of the "Deputy for

Operations" at Sunnyvale to be the Director for Test Operations; and
10

the "Deputy for Plans" in Los Angeles to be designated the Director for

Engineering (later changed to Development). Program control, procurement

and similar functions were to be separate staff functions under the SSD

Deputy Commander for Satellite Control Operations. On 30 December 1964,

AFSC Commander, General Schriever, approved the plan with two exceptions:

(1) The Deputy Commander for Satellite Control Operations would be the

Commander, Satellite Control Facility; and, (2) The Director of Test

Operations at Sunnyvale would be the Commander of Detachment 1, SCF.

The plan was approved by Hq USAF on 18 May 1965 and announced by Hq AFSC

special order effective 1 July.

The AFSCF

At this point, Headquarters Air Force Satellite Control Facility

was designated and organized at Los Angeles and assigned to SSD. Det-1,

AFSCF, and the 6594th Support Group were designated and organized at

Sunnyvale. Headquarters 6594th Aerospace Test Wing at Sunnyvale and

Det-1 thereof at Donnelly Flats, Alaska, were discontinued. Thus, as of

1 July 1965, the AFSCF consisted of a headquarters, a support squadron,

and Det-1 at Sunnyvale; the 6594th Recovery Control Group; and several

tracking stations. Headquarters AFSCF was organized in six separate

directorates and the support group, each of which reported directly to

the AFSCF Commander, as did the geographically separated units.
V

DATA

READOUT

TRACKING STATION

TRACKING

STATION

DATA

FLOw

MISSION

ASSIGNMENT

SATELLITE TEST CENTER

INTELLIGENCE

DATA PROCESSING

COMAND •

MISSION SCHEDULE

AND PROGRAMING

Bldg.

1001 •

111, 110

SATELLITE ORBITAL PATH

PROGRAM

READ-IN

SIGNAL TO

co. MA

READOUT

IOW

• 1•10 .61

luoct.• star MO

500 14/ SS

SCF Data Handling Network 
12

SCF Milestones (1966 - Present)

Following the formal e

stablishment of the AFSCF in 1965, the Mission

Control Complex (MCC) concept was developed and approved consolidating all

related elements of satellite program control in single centers. Other

significant milestones included the re placement of model 1604 computers.

with CDC 3600's in 1966, followed by installation of CDC 3800's beginning

in late 1967. The first S pace-Ground Link Subsystem (SGLS) capable

satellite was tracked with the SGLS system in late 1968. In 1970, the

AFSCF assumed resp

onsibility for the Camp Parks Radiometric Test Facility;

supported the first NATO communications satellite; and accepted the

Sunnyvale AFS power plant and Bldg 1003. The Interim Mideband Communications System became operational in 1974. After extensive review and

debate, Hq AFSC directed SAMSO to plan for a relocation of Hq AFSCF from

Los Angeles to Sunnyvale Air Force Station* -- a move accomplished in

mid-1977. Telemetry and Command Station (TCS) Oakhanger, United Kingdom,

joined the SCF network as a shared resource in February 1978. During the

following year, modifications to the Indian Ocean Station were completed

for supporting Space Shuttle orbital flight testing, and, the DSCS/SCF

Interface System (DSIS), a major advance in data transmission capabilities,

was declared operational at the New Hampshire Tracking Station. In 1980

a contract was awarded for the first phase of a com prehensive and critical

Data Systems Modernization (DSM) program. On 12 April 1981, the AFSCF

supported the first s paceflight of the Space Shuttle orbiter *Columbia"

within weeks of receiving its fifth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

* Designated as such in January 1971 versus "Satellite Test Annex."
During the past twoyears the AFSCF continued crucial shuttle support

including STS-4, the last of the orbital flight test series, andwhich carried the first NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TORS)

into space. Today, the AFSCF consists of seven geographically

sep

arated tracking stations, the Satellite Test Center, Camp Parks

Com

munication Annex, and recovery forces for aerial and surface recovery

of reentry vehicles. The demanding mission of the AFSCF continues to

be met through the efforts of dedicated and innovative military,

civilian, and contractor p

ersonnel who provide around-the-clock

operational support -- a trademark of the 

organization throughout

its history.

The chronology which follows covers a remarkable 

period of advances

by the United States and the AFSCF in space operations. Furthermore,

the material conveys the persistence of. the AFSCF from the early

challenges of the 1950's through the technological advances of the

1970's and 1980's. In . the area of operational support alone, 1960

figures of 300 contacts and 400 op

erational hours bear little resemblance to the modern day totals of over 82,000 flight support hours

and more than 94,000 contacts reported in 1982. The ability of the

AFSCF to perform its acquisition, maintenance, and operation of a

common-user sp

acecraft support network for the DOD echoes its motto:

"We shall either find a way or make one."
14
15

1954
16

1 July

CHRONOLOGY

122%

Lt Gen Thomas S. Power, Commander, Air Research and

Development Command (ARDC), issued verbal orders to

establish the Western Development Division (WDD) under

the command of Brig Gen Bernard A. Schriever at

Inglewood, California.

. 3 July

29 October

March

General Power announced that management responsibility

for the advanced satellite system (Weapon System 1171),

would be transferred to the MOD.

Responsibility for development of the Thor Intermediate

Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) was assigned to the WDD.

Weapon System 1171 responsibility was officially trans

ferred from the Wright Air Development Center to WDD.

A joint ARDC/WDD/Wright Air Development Center/Air

Materiel Command contractor evaluation board met to

evaluate WS 1171 design studies prepared by RCA, the

Glenn L. Martin Co., and Lockheed. The board found

Lockheed to be most qualified and recommended award

of the prime contract to Lockheed for development.

The Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee witheld

approval of WDD's proposed initial operating capability

(IOC) program pending further review as part of the

Eisenhower administration's economy drive. Austerity

in facilities and reductions in military objectives were

recommended. The WDD was directed to adopt "a poor man's

approach" when working out an alternate IOC program.

Lockheed Missile Systems Division was awarded a contract

as prime contractor for development of WS 117L and its

associated Hustler, (later designated Agena), upper

stage vehicle.

1957

The WDD began feasibility studies regarding a missile

detection alarm system (MIDAS) satellite designed to

provide early warning of hostile missile launches.

10 October

9 December

15 February

12-20 March
4 October

1 June The Western Development Division was as the Air Force redesignated B

allistic Missile Division (AFBMD)

with assignment to Hq ARDC, and no change in station.

12 November

13 November.

6 January

Using an intercontinental ballistic missile, the

Soviet Union placed the first man-made 

satellite, Sputnik I, into earth orbit. Immediately, AFBMD began studies for 

its b

reprogramming and accelerating

r

allistic missile programs. Defense Department estrictions placed on missile 

the p

production during

revious August were removed while 

rates and production operational deployment schedules were revised.

H

eadquarters USAF sought Defense De

of a space p

partment approval

dem

rogram that would provide an early onstration of space ca pability and a developmental test vehicle for larger satellite systems.

Major Gen Schriever directed preparation of a plan

for a program leading to development of a mancarrying vehicle system for space operations.

1958

Lockheed Aircraft Cor poration submitted a develop- ment plan and cost estimate of acceleration of the

'WS 1171 program using the Atlas booster plus the

a ug

mentation of the program using the Thor booster.

On 25 Jan, a contract was awarded from AFBMD to

Lockheed Missile and Space Division calling for

flights scheduled between October-December 1958 and in FebrUary 1959.

17

29 January The Defense Dep

artment announced plans to establish

the Pacific Missile Range as part of the Naval Air

Missile Test Center, Point MUgu, California, and as

a national range to be designed for long-range guided

missile and ICBM testing.

31 January

The first U.S. earth-orbiting satellite, Explorer I,

was placed into orbit from the Atlantic Missile Range.

1 February

Secretary of the Air Force, James H. Doulas,

Neil H. McElroy, Secretary of Defense, to

g

approve

urged

Air Force use of Thor missiles to boost test satellites

into orbit before the end of the year.
18

3 February

7 February

10 February

28 February

March

19 MarCh

31 March

President Eisenhower d

national p irected the highest and equal

riority for Atlas, Titan, Thor, Jupiter, and the WS 117E advanced sa tellite sy

Missile Early Warning System (BREWS). stem plus the Ballis tic

Se

cretary of Defense Neil H. *Elroy activ

Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) whated which 

the

placed in charge of all DOD space prog h

rams duringg

their r

esearch and development phases.

Headq

uarters ARDC notified AFBMD of ins tructions for

ro

planning a space rogr

approval am. Once 000

,

AFBMD was to p ce

p

ed with development of the Blue Scout

gained

system to satisfy most research flight requiremens. Addi

tionally, the Thor was to be used as a booster for the Able r

eentry tests, recoverable 

sa moon impact mission. tellites, and a

Roy J

ohnson, ARPA Director, cancelled the

o am

aspects of WS 117L and reconna issance a uthorized the Secretary of the

and recovery of

Air Force to use the Thor booster with a suitable second

stage vehicle for experimental 

laboratory a

flights nimals. The Thor for the p

b osted vehicle rogram were known as Progm IIA. a spects

The W

estern Test Range began 

tion for WS 117E support, receiving 

particularly the Discoverer program, due to the ava ilability of added tracking facilities.

Lockheed Missile and Space Division's 

contract was reo

riented to include the de capsule to a velopment of a recoverable ccommodate a biomedical 

referred to as a "life support system." package, later

MO Gen Schriever directed the prep

plan for a full-scale manned military s aration of a developmen

pace systems progra

t

m.

The ultimate objective of that p

to the moon and a safe return to earth. rogram was a manned flight

The AFBMD was n

given ARPA otified that SecDef Neil H. *Elroy had

respo nsibility for development of WS 117L.

Air R

esearch and Development Command was 

directed to form a provisional unit capable of 

operating nine C-119J a ircraft for aerial recovery of capsules from orbit as r

equired by WS Jill, Program II Aeromedical 

Program. T

actical Air Command was 

tasked to furnish full y p

ersonnel for the unit, and together with 

ARDC, to desigqualified

nate the unit commander.

30 June

9 July
19

16-19 July

. 29 July

1 August

15 August

26 August

4 September

11 October

Representatives from ARDC and TAC met with AFBMD

officials to organize the new recovery unit --

the 6593rd Test Squadron (Special). TAC identified 133 highly q

ualified officers and enlisted personnel to man the unit and selected Major Joseph G. Nellor

as its first commander.

The National Aeronautics and Space Admi nistration (NASA) was formed as the civilian agency designated

to control peaceful exploitation of space. NASA

assumed control of all space programs except those

org

with specific military requirements. The formal

anization of NASA was effective 1 October 1958.

H

eadquarters ARDC organized the 6593rd Test S

quadron (Special) at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and attached the

unit to AFBMD for administrative and operational

control. Unit activation, training, equipping, etc.,

was known by the title "Hot Hand." Assigned C-119

aircraft were crewed by personnel trained t E AFB, C

alifornia, then reassigned to Hickam aAF8dwards

.

The AFBMD activated a field office manned 

by 20

persons at Palo Alto, California. This field office, or SCF in .

d

embryo form, was res ponsible for Program IIA

evelopment and testing associated with achieving an

early orbital capability with the Thor booster, and

for supporting the Aerobiomedical program designed to assist in d

evelopment of the U.S. Man-in-Space program.

Lt Gen Samuel E. Anderson, ARDC Commander, directed

AFBMD to establish and man an organizational element for space systems development because of the increased

Air Force concern with military space programs.

The Transit and TIROS satellites began program develop- ment with booster responsibilities assigned to AFBMD.

Transit was a navigation satellite, while TIROS,

or Television Infrared Observation Satellite, was to

take television pictures of cloud cover and send meteorological i

nformation via relay to ground stations.

A Thor/Able booster launched NASA Pioneer I, the first

successful space probe, into orbit setting a new altitude

record of about 70,000 statute miles. AFBMD 

provided the booster and launched it under NASA direction.
20

5 November

3 December

4 December

18 December

The Army Signal Research and Development Laboratory

ARDC were designated by ARPA as the military agenciesand

responsible for com

the munications and vehicular aspects of

first U.S. military communications satellite 

program. Booster and spacecraft development were assigned to AFBMD.

An

nouncement was made by the Defense Department 

concerning details of a Project Discoverer series of polar orbiting

management.

satellites developed by Lockheed under AFBMD program

Director of ARPA, Roy W. Johnson, 

re as the "Discoverer-Thor Pro designated Program IIA ject" so as to establish identity of the project the individually from the WS 117L effort.

Project SCORE (Signal Communications Orbiting Relay 

Atlas missile 108 with a communications re Equipment

board, was placed into orbit from which President peater satellite on

Christmas message was Eisenhower's

broadcast to the world on the next day.

This marked the first time a human voice was beamed from space, and it demonstrated the practical operation of a satellite r

adio-relay system with intercontinental capabilities.

1959

28 February

Discoverer I, the world's first polar orbiting satellite,

was launched using a Thor/Agana booster 

Vandenberg AFB. The SCF su combination from

pported the launch and received 514 seconds of telemetry at its interim satellite 

control center in Palo Alto. The mission was the first to use a

Thor as a space booster and the first successful flight test

of Lockheed's Agena A upper stage designed for orbiting satellite systems. U.S.

3 March

After a successful launch, NASA's Pioneer IV became th

U.S. satellite to be positioned in a solar orbit. the first

April

The AFBMD transferred the TIROS meteorological satelli

program to NASA for use in the national meteorological satellite program.

4 January

The Vandenberg tracking facility and Pacific Missile Range were declared o p

erational and usable for missile launches.

January

An interim satellite control center was completed by Lockheed

at the Palo Alto AFBMD field office location.
• GO 0

0 0 0•

• 0 0 0

0000

0000

21
6 April

13 April

25 April

1 June

3 June

1 July

19 August

At Palo Alto, California, Hq ARDC activated the 6594th

Test Wing -- the first U.S. military unit to be charged

with military satellite o perations. That unit was to AFBMD for adm assigned inistrative and operational control.

Col Charles G. Mathison became the first commander. 

this time the new wing had three o At

OL-1 at Edwards AFB, perating locations: California; OL-2 at Chiniak, Point

Kodiak, Alaska; and OL-3 at Annette Island, Alaska.

Announcement was made that seven pilots had been 

chosen from the U.S. Armed Services for the Mercury Astronaut p

rogram established to train the first U.S. space pilot.

Discoverer II was launched into polar orbit becoming the w

orld's first satellite to be stabilized in orbit in 

three axis. The SCF all perfonmed the first commands to

maneuver a satellite from earth, to separate a reentry

vehicle upon command, and to send that reentry vehicle

back to earth. The first recovery o

for the f

peration was planned ollowing day. However, the capsule e ma jector system lfunctioned and the vehicle failed to come down in the

desired impact area near Hawaii.

Maj Gen Schriever became Commander of the Air Research

and Development Command, and received a 

Lieutenant General. promotion to

The 6594th Launch Squadron was designated and organized

at Vandenberg AFB and assigned to the 6594th Test 

The field office in Palo Alto was Wing.

its personnel disestablished with transferred to the 6594th Test Wing. 

AFBMD further directed that o The

perational control of the

6593rd Test Sq (Special) be assigned to the 6594th Test

Wing while the squadron remained assigned to AFBMD.

A second planned recovery operation was aborted by the

6593rd Test Sq (Special) when Discoverer III failed to achieve orbit.

The 6594th Data Processing Squadron was designated and

organized at Lowry AFB, Colorado. The 6596th Instrumenta- tion Squadron (INS), was designated and organized at

Vandenberg AFB. Plans were now underway to implement

additional SCF tracking stations at Grenier Field, H Nee ampshire; Ottumma, Iowa; and Fort Stevens, Oregon.

Discoverer VI, a USAF satellite, was launched into 

polar orbit from the Pacific Missile Range. Its instrument

capsule was not recovered due to a malfunction.

22
23

23 September

1 October

1 Noiember

11 November

. 15 November

17 November

The Defense Department reorganized its space and assigned primary program resp

space onsibility for military p

rograms to the Air Force with control of all

long-range missile and booster systems except the Navy's Polaris. ARPA kept responsibility for advanced research on missile defense, solid 

other p

propellants, and rojects. Existing projects were reassigned to the military services,

MIDAS and SAMOS to the Air Force; the Transit navigation satellite to the Navy; and NOTUS to the Army. With these actions, the move toward Air Force develoent

vehicles

and l roduction, aunching of military space 

became quite clear. In addition, the Air Force took

responsibility for all space transportation.

•

The 6594th Instrumentation Squadron (INS) was

designated and organized at Grenier Field, New Hamp

shire, and assigned to the 6594th Test Wing. (The op

erations function was located 17 miles west.) Concurrently, the 6594th Data 

at Lowry AFB was Processing Squadron

redesignated as the 4999th DPS

with no change in station or parent organization.

Hq ARDC org

anized and activated the 6594th Recovery

Control Group at Hickam AFB and the 6593rd INS at

Wheeler AFB, Hawaii. The 6593rd Test Suadron (Sp

ecial) was reassigned to the 6594th qTest Wing.

The Air Force p

urchased 11.423 acres of land in Sunnyvale, California. Deeded from the I Prudential nsurance Company, that land included the newly

constructed Bldg 171 (now 1001).

The 6594th Test Wing was reassigned from Hq ARDC

to Hq AFBMD without change of station. Hq AFBMD was

constituted and activated at Los Angeles as part of

an overall ARDC reorganization which resulted in the establithment of a new division structure. The Wright Air D

evelopment Division and Air Force Command Control D

evelopment Division were also established.

Based on the 23 September decision, all Defense

Department satellite and space vehicle 

were app programs

roved for transfer back to the military services of primary i nterest. As a result, the Di scoverer, MIDAS, and SAMOS programs were reassigned from ARPA to AFBMD. All three programs were originally

part of the WS 117L program which AFBMD managed from

their inception in 1955 until the ARPA 

resp assumption of onsibility on 30 June 1958.
24

1960

15 January The 6594th Test Wing was redesignated as the 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) at Palo Alto.

29 February

When ARPA issued an interim directive cancelling the

the three-phase development program for a military

communication satellite system (Projects Steer, Tackle,

and Decree), the AFBMD was directed to conduct a single

integrated research and development program for a 24-hour

synchronous equatorial global communications satellite

system subsequently designated Project Advent.

1 March

Headquarters 6594th Test Wing ( Sa tellite)noved from Palo

Alto to Sunnyvale where an interim satellite control

center was activated in the Lockheed complex. At AFBMD,

a Deputy Director for the Satellite Control Office was

designated and a command and control contract was issued

to Lockheed which separated the satellite control function

as an entity rather than as part of one or more general

contracts being handled by AFBMD in Los Angeles.

1 April

Headquarters ARDC officially announced a change of address

for the Hq 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) from Lockheed

Missile and Space Division Facility, Palo Alto, to Lockheed

Missile and Space Division Facility, Sunnyvale, California.

The NASA TIROS I weather satellite was placed into the most

accurate orbit yet achieved by any U.S. satellite opening a new era in meteorology by sending 23,000 pictures of global

cloud cover from a 450 nautical mile orbit above the earth.

TIROS I completed 1,302 orbits before its o perational life ended on 29 June 1960.

The Air Force accepted technical facilities at the New

Boston Tracking Station.

7 June

The official location of the 6593rd I nstrumentation Squadron

was announced by Hq ARDC from Wheeler to Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

14 June

The civilian nonprofit Aerospace Corporation was incorporated

in California with the prospect of $35 million in Air Force

business during FY 61. The company was intended to replace

the Space Technology Laboratories as an associate contractor

for ballistic missiles and space programs with the exceppon ,

of a number of advanced Air Force projects.

7 July

Hq ARDC announced that the designation "Sunnale Sat ellite

Test Center" was changed to "Sunnyvale Satellite Test Annex."'
TLM-18 A

High gain antenna, telemetry autotracker used

ntenna System

at VTS and HTS.
26

Data Receiver (DR)

Common only to VTS and NHS for supporting satellites with apogees to 70,000 NM. (400 MHz)

T&D Antenna System
.7 •I

Command Transmitter

Radar Vans and Verlort Antenna
28

Disc-on-Rod Antenna

Medium gain antenna, telemetry autotracker last used at Thule Tracking Station.
29

11 August

19 August

The data capsule from Discoverer XIII was ejected

on the 17th pass and recovered in the Pacific Ocean

near Hawaii by a Navy helicopter that was part of

the 6593rd Test Sq (Special) task force. Thunderstorms p

revented aircraft from reaching the area in

time for a planned aerial recovery. The surface

recovery was the first successful recovery of a

ma n-made.object ejected from an orbiting satellite.

It was first sighted by C-119 aircraft crews two

minutes after impact. Three recovery aircraft

dropped dye markers and smoke bombs to identify

the spot.

Captain Harold E. Mitchell, 6593rd Test Sq (Special),

flying a C-119J, recovered the descending Discoverer

XIV capsule northwest of Hawaii for the first

successful aerial recovery of an object returned

was in 

from orbit. The ca

p

psule, snagged on the third pass, erfect condition except for slight scorching

on its upper surface. Captain Mitchell received the

the D

istinguished Flying Cross for his efforts, and

the remaining eight crew members received Air Medals

for their role in the operation.

21 August.

Colonel Alvan N. bore replaced Colonel Charles G.

Mathison as Commander, 6594th Test Wing (Satellite).

23 September

Lt Gen Schriever, ARDC Commander, recommended that

the ballistic missile and space research and

d

evelopment complex at Los Angeles be split, with

the former moving to Norton AFB, California, near

San Bernadino. He alsti called attention to the need

for a well-defined USAF space program, managed by

the only Defense Department agency having any national

image in the space field. The missile and R&D split

was recommended with the idea that ARDC's Inglewood

complex would become the Air Force military space

development agency.

1 October

The 4999th Data Processing Squadron at Offutt AFB,

Nebraska, and Det-1 thereof at Lowry AFB, Colorado,

were discontinued by Hq ARDC. Responsibility for

their mission was transferred to the Air Force

Command and Control Development Division.

1 December

Installation of a 60' Telemetry and Data Receiving

Antenna was completed at New Boston Tracking Station.
30

15 December

21 December

31 January

6 February

14 February

The Vela Hotel Joint Management Team with representatives from NASA, ARDC, and the Atomic Energy Commission, met at

Hq AFBMD to begin planning for a high altitude satellite

system that would be capable of detecting nuclear detonations on the surface of the earth or in space.

The first ICBM operational reentry vehicle ever recovered

was fished out of Eniwetok Lagoon following a missile

launch from Vandenberg AFB using an Atlas D on 16 December.

12.61

A 37h-pound chimpanzee was carried into space for the first

suborbital flight in a Project Mercury capsule. The animal

was recovered after the test of the capsule designed to

carry the first U.S. astronaut into orbit. Earlier successes

included a 13 October 1960 Atlas rocket with three mice in

its nose cone. The mice were launched to an altitude of 700

miles and picked up in the Atlantic, thus becoming the first

living creatures to return alive from that distance in space.

The satellite operations center at Sunnyvale moved from its

interim control area to a new control room in Bldg 1001 during

the final phase of SAMOS II flight testing. Full system

integration of control room equipment was completed 1 March.

Acting on General Schriever's recommendations of September 1960, the Air Force decided to permanently locate AFBMD

headquarters in the Inglewood, California, area to manage

ballistic missile and space programs prior to transfer of

systems management res ponsibility. The Ballistics Missiles

Center was slated to move to Norton AFB to perform 

production, site activation, and follow-on support after transfer of that

responsibility.

17, 18 February The first multiple satellite o perations were conducted

from the satellite control room, Satellite Test Annex (STA),

during the dual o peration of Discoverer flight test vehicles

1102 and 1104. On 18 February an Agena engine was successfully commanded to ignite for a second burn while in orbit

(Discoverer 1102).

The Air Force Satellite Photographic Processing Lab having

been established as a named activity, led to ARDC designating

and organizing the 6594th Test Squadron (AF Satellite Photo

Processing Lab) at Westover AFB, Massachusetts. The new

unit was assigned to the 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) by ARDC

and attached to the host base for 

support. administrative/logistical

20 February
ITELETAETalEITLENETRT-.

DATA CONTROL CENTER

STC LAYOUT - 1961 

TELEPHONE

EXCHANGE

31

Original STC following the first increment of additional construction which

added 45,600 square feet to then Bldg 171. The second expansion occurred in

1963 with the addition of 4,200 sq ft for a communications center, crypto

equipment room, and electrical/mechanical room. A 1,400 sq ft penthouse was

also added to house chillers and chill water pumps over one room.
32

6 March

14 March

17 March

1 April

Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamera assigned

responsibility for the development of military

space systems to the U.S. Air Force.

Headquarters 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) discontinued

its Operating Location #3 at Annette Island, Alaska,

and designated a new OL-3 at Donnelly Flats, Ft. Greely,

Alaska, effective 15 March.

Secretary of Defense McNamera announced that all Air

Force activities concerned with acquisition of systems

"some of which are carried on by ARDC and some by Air

Materiel Command (AMC)," would be consolidated in a new

command to be known as the Air Force Systems Command,

(AFSC). On 20 March, Eugene M. Zuckert, Secretary of

the Air Force, announced that AMC would be redesignated

as the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC), and ARDC

would become AFSC effective 1 April.

The Air Force reorganization announced on 17 March led

to the formation of three new commands from the former

ARDC and AMC commands. The . Air Force Systems Command,

Air Force Logistics Command, and Office of Aerospace

Research (OAR) emerged. Also coming from former elements

of ARDC and AMC were the Space Systems Division (SSD)

with responsibility for military space systems and

boosters; and the Ballistic Systems Division (BSD) for

handling ballistic missile development and site activation. Both organizations were positioned under the

Deputy Commander for Aerospace Systems located in Los

Angeles. As part of these actions, the 6594th Test

Wing (Satellite) at Sunnyvale, was assigned to SSD.

A Satellite Orbital Control Plan was published by

Lockheed for the Discoverer, MIDAS and SAMOS satellites.

The Vandenberg Tracking Station became a "blue-suit"

operation when the 6596th Instrumentation Squadron

assumed responsibility for management, operations, and

maintenance.

The Air Force assumed responsibility for operations

and maintenance of all ground-space equipment at the

New Boston Tracking Station.

The 6594th Test Wing (Satellite) assumed responsibility

for managing the Satellite Control System.
33

5 May Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., made the first

U.S. manned space flight in a Mercury spacecraft

launched from Cape Canaveral. In "Freedom 7,"

he completed the first mission of NASA's Project

Mercury after a 15 minute suborbital flight which

reached an altitude of 115 miles.

President John F. Kennedy called for the U.S. to

meet the goal of landing an American on the moon

"in this decade." His statement followed the

Soviet Union's successful world's first manned

earth orbiting flight of 12 April.

9 June The official emblem and motto of the 6594th Test

Wing (Satellite) were approved by Hq USAF.

15 June The New Boston Tracking Station was certified

ready for operations and participation in the

MIDAS program having previously been limited to

passive tracking for Discoverer XIII.

15 July The 6594th Launch Squadron at Vandenberg AFB was

deactivated by Hq AFSC..

Aircraft JC-1308 #526 demonstrated a recovery

operation during the first public exhibition of

satellite recovery techniques before a large

crowd which included the U.S. Vice President

and other dignitaries during an air show at

Randolph AFB, Texas.

Jul Dec A second CDC 1604 computer system was installed at

the Satellite Test Annex with IBM on-line/off-line

equipment being replaced by CDC equipment.

Augmented communications circuits were installed

at Kodiak, Pt. Mugu, Kaena Point, New Boston, Thule,

and Vandenberg. Secure circuits were installed to

several stations, and a 100 wpm circuit was added

to Fort Monmouth.

September A tenancy agreement between the 6594th Test Wing

(Satellite) and Moffett NAS wassigned and the

Base Flight Branch moved into permanent quarters

at Moffett Field. The Navy made a flightline

building available for an aircraft maintenance

center. A total of 45 pilots were assigned;

33 checked out in C-47's and 12 in U-3's.

• 25 May
34

15 September Flight test support was transferred from the Palo Alto

1103A computer facility to the Satellite Test Annex.

3 October Palo Alto computers were deactivated and all computer

operations were contained in the STA for the first time.

15 October Hq AFSC designated the following 6594th Test Wing (Sat)

operating locations: OL-4, Annette Island, Alaska;

OL-5, Thule Air Base, Greenland; OL-6, Fort Dix, New

Jersey; and 01-7, Camp Roberts, California.

November Advent circuits to Fort Monmouth, Fort Dix, and Camp

Roberts were activated.

1 November

14 November

21 November

1962

The 6594th Test Wing (Sat) was redesignated as the

6594th Aerospace Test Wing without change in station

or assignment by Hq AFSC.

The "Mugu data line" (with voice alternate) was activated.

A full duplex data line was activated between ACES and

Kaena Point.

Jan-Jun

January

18 January

Space Systems Division engineers developed the concept for

the advanced Space-Ground Link Subsystem (SGLS), approved

by higher headquarters during the second half of 1962.

Industry was asked to submit proposals for the program

which was initiated in response to the need for equipments

having improved performance in many respects; notably in

higher data rate capability, communication security,

extended reliable lifetime of vehicle components, and

radiation hardening of vehicle equipment. The SGLS program

was directed subsequently to use state-of-the-art techniques

to yield a high confidence in meeting specified performance

and schedule requirements.

The 6593rd Test Squadron (Special) sent its Air Recovery

Section to Cuba for an "indefinite" period with three

H-21 helicopters. One was returned to Wheeler AFB, Hawaii,

after two weeks in Cuba where it served as a support and

rescue aircraft.

From now through mid-March, full duplex secure circuits

(100 wpm) between the Satellite Test Annex (STA) and

the Annette, Kaena Point, Vandenberg, Kodiak, New Boston,

and Thule tracking facilities were activated and approved

for transmission of classified information.
35

15 January The last two of nine C-119 aircraft originally

assigned to the 6593rd Test Sq (Special) were

transferred out of the unit for eventual

replacement by 10, JC-130B aircraft. The H-21

helicopter force would be converted to CH-3B's.

20 FebruarY Marine Lt Col John Glenn became the first American

to make an orbital spaceflight. He covered a

total of 81,000 miles in four hours and 56 minutes

in the spacecraft.Friendship 7.

1 Mardi Operating Location 14 was activated at Annette

Island, Alaska.

15 March The Orbital Requirements Document (ORD) concept

was approved as a major management improvement

by the Space Systems Division. Previously,

requirements were received in a wide variety of

formats. The ORD standardized submission of

orbital requirements by all agencies requesting

support or a particular program.

A project to upgrade the 6594th Recovery Control

, Group's'Recovery Contral Center with installation

of a closed circuit television system (Recovery

Status Display) was completed.

30 March A contract was awarded by the Sacramento District

Engineer, Corps of Engineers, for a two-story

addition of 24,000 square feet to the Satellite

Test Annex. Cal Contractors of Palo Alto were

awarded the $368,979 contract and began the

addition on 2 April.

Thule Tracking Station was declared operational.

The station began support operations in. April

after radome installation for verlort and quadhelix antennas in January, systems checkout in

February, and completion of the KW-26 secured

communications circuit during that month.

April-June Facilities at the STA were upgraded to support

multi-satellite operations. The computer capability was increased from two CDC 1604 and two

CDC 160-A computers to four CDC 1604's and six

of the CDC 160-A's. Over the preceding month

the on-line Multi-Operations Section was formed

with an Orbit Planning Branch specifically

organized to develop a philosophy and interface

procedures for multi-operations. By the end of

1962 and henceforward, the SCF devoted over 90

percent of its operational time to such operations.
36

2 April

6 April

Construction on Building 1002 (the STA addition) was begun

by Cal Contractors.

The 6593rd's Air Recovery Section moved from Wheeler AFB

to Hickam AFB, Hawaii, where it acquired the added task

of ferrying key personnel to and from Kaena Point with

about two sorties required daily.

15 April Detachment 1 of the 6594th Aerospace Test Wing was

designated and organized at Donnelly Flats, Alaska.

26 April Annette Island supported its first orbital vehicle as

an operational station. The facility had tracked its

first orbital vehicle on 21 February during crew training

and system verification operations. Annette Island was

declared fully operational on 25 May 1962.

Ariel I was launched as the first international satellite

with 4 United Kingdom payload which studied the ionosphere.

May The final two JC-130B aircraft were delivered to the

6594th Recovery Control Group at Hickam giving the unit

a total of seven to complete the conversion from C-119's.

The C-130 winch systems were capable of aerially recovering

up to 3,000 lbs., versus the 800 lbs. C-119 capability.

A 150-ton temporary air conditioning system was leased

and installed by the Aladdin Heating Company for Lockheed

in order to provide conditioned air for the new STA

computers pending completion of a 4,200 square foot

facility addition on the east side of the STA.

23 May Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamera issued directives

effectively cancelling the Advent program and approvtng

development of a new minimum essential satellite

communications system for the DOD.

11 Jun The DOD announced reassignment of responsibility for

what had been the Advent program. The Air Force assumed

development, production, and launch'responsibility for all

space devices, in line with the'policy originally delineated

on 6 March 1961. The Army retained responsibility for the

ground system with the Defense Communications Agency (DCA)

being responsible for integration.
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% ••=o La

Ce

...

....er,__ gder, .

ft...—. FEI ' • . r

,.... -....K .„..„, .i.,....„,

C-

►kiJ

37
38

July-December A "Computer Operations Magnetic Tape Library" was

established to account for, control, test, and

insure the quality of all tapes used on STA computers.

Vandenberg Tracking Station Prelort tower construction,

including antenna emplacement of the redone was completed.

Construction at Thule began in July. Prelort was an

improved angular tracking accuracy version of the verlOrt

antenna system.

Multi-satellite operations involving five vehicles were

conducted for the first time. The STA had a single

control room and was capable of supporting up to three

vehicles simultaneously during the previous year.

2 July The forerunner of the Director of Test Operations, the

Deputy for Space Test Operations, was organized, with six

major subordinate offices. The Space Vehicle Office was

the largest with six divisions. Others included the

Spacecraft Recovery Office, Space Vehicle Test Operations

and. Planning, Staff Meteorology, Procurement and Production,

and the Space Vehicle Ground Communications Office.

5 July Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamera issued to the

Secretaries of the Air Force and Army along with the

Director, Defense Communications Agency (DCA), a

memorandum clearly defining the responsibilities of

each in development of a defense communications satellite system. The Air Force was assigned development of

the space vehicle and satellite communications components

along with future space elements of the system. Space

Systems Division subsequently took those tasks for

development of a medium-altitude communications satellite

system and point-to-point repeater satellites to be placed

in a synchronous orbit.

10 July A NASA/Thor/Delta boosted the first commercially developed

international communications satellite, Telstar I, into

orbit for transmitting television pictures between the

U.S. and Europe.

26 August The first interplanetary robot space probe, Mariner 2,

was launched on a four-month, 180 million mile journey

. to Venus. After 109 days the probe passed within 21,000

miles of the planet on 14 December.

31 August Colonel William K. Kincaid replaced Col Alvan N. Moore as

Commander, 6594th Aerospace Test Wing.
39

Sep-October A Christmas Island operating location controlled

by the 6593rd Instrumentation Squadron (INS), was

completed and declared operational on 12 October.

It was operated by General Electric personnel and

performed some tracking functions on orbital vehicles

with a limited readout capability. The contract was

due to expire by 31 Jan 1963 unless extended/renewed.

28 September An additional facility of 24,000 square feet was

accepted for occupancy on the north side of the STA.

Wing Headquarters moved from 81dg 104, Lockheed, to

the new addition. From now until 1971, some 40

trailers would be used to supplement requirements

for administrative space.

October . HULA/HICK/CAPE voice circuits were patched into

Mercury Control for support of manned Project

Mercury missions. Additionally, the Recovery

Control Group provided JC-13013 aircraft for

airborne location and search in support of Mercury

capsule recoveries. Pre-training for those operations was extensive throughout September 1962.

3 October The 6593rd Test Squadron acted as primary contingency force for a Mercury recovery mission. Aircraft homed in on the capsule beacon, but the

recovery was made in the primary impact zone.

Earlier, on 11, 29 September, the squadron

participated in dress rehearsals.

November Very Long Range Tracking (Verlort), 6-tone,

15 Command System installation was complete at

the Kodiak, Annette Island, Hawaii, Vandenberg,

New Hampshire, and Thule Tracking Stations.

3 December The DOD announced plans to immediately develop a

detector-interceptor satellite (Project Saint),

had been cancelled. SSD had program management

responsibility for this project.

8 December Verlort tower construction, including emplacement of the antenna dish, pedestal, and radome

was completed at Thule Tracking Station.
40

1963

January

January-June

A secure circuit from the STA to the Pentagon was

activated after installation of KG-13 data equipment

in the crypto facility.

Mahe Island, Seychelles Groip, was selected as the

location for a new tracking station (OL-9).

Technical equipment and prefabricated support

facilities arrived in Mahe via ship on 29 June.

A program peculiar site, the station was ready to

provide tracking and control requirements nine months

later despite no government-to-government support

agreements, poor transportation to the island, and

with an unsettled political situation in the country.

Space Technology Laboratories at Redondo Beach,

California, was selected from a field of competitive

bidders for development of the Space-Ground Link

Subsystem (SGLS).

The microwave link between Vandenberg and the STA was

completed and placed in service.

By the end of June the STA had five CDC 160A computers.

Two of four CDC 1604 computer systems were reconfigured

with one 523 card punch, one card reader-collator, one

control unit, and four tape units thus resulting in

multiple satellite hook-up capability.

31 January Hq SSD asked for requests for proposals for development

of a medium-altitude military communications satellite

system that would be developed in place of the former

Project Advent.

February The 6593rd Test Squadron (Special) received the Air

Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 August

1958 through 30 April 1962.

14 February NASA's Syncom I (Synchronous Communications Satellite),

was placed into orbit. Syncom was a NASA project supported

by DOD ground stations and communications experiments.

25 February A second STA addition of about 25,000 square feet for

$500,000 was authorized for design. Preliminary design

was completed by the end of June 1963.
• 41

SYNCON

Artist's conception of NASA's Syncom (Synchronous Communications)

satellite placed into orbit on 14 February 1963 and supported by

DOD ground stations and communications experiments.
42

March-June

10 March

19 March

22 March

April

14 May

15 May

June-July

July-December

Negotiations were opened with the Seychelles Government

concerning additional pri vately-owned land in the Grand

Anse area, Mahe Island, with about 80 acres required.

The first vans arrived on Mahe.

Helicopter 51-15872 belonging to the 6593rd Test Sq

(Special) was lost in a crash at sea. Investigation

revealed that materiel failure of the longitudinal

control link in the aircraft control system was the

probable cause of the mishap. A replacement helicopter

arrived from Edwards AFB on 19 April and was ready for

recovery/rescue missions by mid-May.

The first voice and teletype circuits were activated

at Mahe Island.

1200 bit per second (bps), secure duplex data circuits

were activated between the STA and New Boston. Similar

circuits were activated between the STA and Thule in May.

The Advanced Ballistic Reentry System (ABRES) program

was established as a Defense Department joint-service effort for reentry vehicle research, 

testing. development, and

The last of four flights in the Project Mercury series

was completed by Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., in

Faith 7 which completed a total of 22 orbits in 34 hours

and 20 minutes. This represented the longest manned

U.S. space mission to date. Project Mercury officially

ended on 12 June.

NASA and SSD clashed over allocation of frequencies.

The SSD successfully defended its request for wideband

data link channels and narrowband channels for the SGLS.

NASA countered for exclusive use of the entire 2.2-2.3 Mhz

band in the U.S. and its possessions. Subsequent meetings

were planned to give major military users of telemetry bands

an opportunity to present their requirements on a case-to- case basis.

Two C-47 aircraft assigned to the Base Flight Branch were

supported by 29 pilots and 13 navigators at NAS Mbffett.

New display and communications equipment was installed in Display Op

erations and all direct support operations were

transferred to another room at the STA. Six CDC 166

remote printers were also installed.
43

July-December

The "Augmented Satellite Control Facility " began

continuous multi-satellite o p one multi erations with at least

-satellite pass daily from 17 October to

the end of the year. During 1963, the STA six satellite p supported

rograms while working on its plan to

standardize the overall network system. Results of

an analysis of the SCF's ability to support its

assigned load with p

1965 articular stress in the 1963- period led to a rec

eq ommendation to augment

uipment at the tracking stations and STA, essentially doubling the cap While pr abilities of certain stations. ocurement of TT&C equipment was in progress, further studies showed the SCF had a great system in

the gross sense, but that its ability to support

multiple satellite o perations for an extended 

was extremely limited. The original period

of subsy

augmentation

stems was then revised to include simplifi- cation and stand

impl ardization of confi gurations and

ementation of system-oriented methodslor data

handling and control. That 

program became known as the SCF Augmentation Program.

Op

erating Location #1 at Edwards AFB continued to

test new or mbdified recovery 

p equipment including

arachutes, hooks, poles, and horseshoe balloon

recovery systems. Feasibility .testing for X-15 ventral fins was recovering also p

. ground p erformed with successful

ick-up, tow and boarding on 27 December.

The Multi-Satellite 

Hawaii T

Augmentation Program provided the racking Station with four new subsystems -- P

recision Long Range Tracking Radar (Prelort), FM/FM

Telemetry Ground Station, Data Handling, and 

Control and Display. Timing, Interstation 

Intrastation Com Communications, and

munications were modified.

At the Vandenberg Tracking Station, a 2.2 Ghz 

receiving and tracking system was installed in the Data 

Receiver area along with a new tracking and command 

(CDC 160A). Prel computer

orepassed checkout and began to support on-orbit vehicles.

1 July

The 6594th Aerospace Test Wing's Supply Branch its resp began onsibility for the supply and support function of the SCF with an AFK Account consisting of 66,546

line items valued at $2,328,342.80.
28 September

18 September

September

4 September

6 September

9 September

1 August

August-September

10 August

25 August

0

a

26 July

1-5 July

Operating Location #9, Mahe Island, Se

op

ychelles, was declared

erationally ready (conditionally) for providing substantial

equatorial support and on-orbit coverage for polar satellites,

particularly during their first revolution.

The Multi-Satellite Augmentation System was first used

operationally.

Weekly HU-16B aircraft service between Africa and Mahe

Island was initiated.

At the STA, the Pic Room received modifications including

further acoustical treatment and redecoration.

C

abinet-mounted, 100 wpm teletype model 28's (receive only)

monitor services were installed at 15 STA locations replacing

60 wpm model.

The first Aerothermodynamic/Elastic Structure Systems

nvironmental Tests (ASSET) program vehicle was launched

n a successful suborbital flight from Cape Canaveral.

The ASSET program was designed to test materials and

tudy flight characteristics of glide reentry vehicles.

The SNAP-9A satellite, first to be operated completely

ith nuclear power, was launched. Unfortunately, whenever

t was turned on the reactor caused the telemetry to be

nusable.

At Mahe Island, Seychelles, all station modules, housing modules, and receiving/transmitting equipment were unloaded

from a ship for transport to OL-9. A temporary housing area

and a dining facility were declared operational on 15 July.

Syncom II (NASA), the first operational communications

satellite, was placed in synchronous orbit following .a

launch from Cape Canaveral.

The Mahe station and antenna construction work was completed.

The crypto maintenance facility moved within the STA with

single side band radio moving also, thus a consolidation

of all communications operations in a central area occurred.

The Mahe receiver and transmitter sites were activated.

The Indian Ocean Station (I0S), performed its first successful satellite o perations support.
45

16 October

22 October

18 NO vember

20 November

December

As program manager for DOD, the Space Systems

Dlvision launChed two Vela nuclear detection

satellites from Cape Canaveral. Vela satellites

were developed and produced by TRW Systems Group

and the first pair in a series to provide information on nuclear detonations in the atmosphere or in

outer space. The 297 pound satellites were placed

in a near-circular earth orbit about 70,000 miles

above the Earth's surface. Design life was about

six months.

Three CH-3B helicopters were accepted by the 6593rd

Test Sq (Special) at Tyndall AFB, Florida, for

further modification by Sikorsky and eventual delivery

to replace the unit's H-21 helicopters.

The 6594th I nstrumentation Squadron was reorganized.

The unit formerly had three crew chiefs, each liable

for a 78-man o perational crew. The new system had

no crew chiefs. Instead, an Operations Control Area

Supervisor was given responsibility for all operational station areas. A reduction of 70 Philco

personnel was planned based on the phase-out of old equipment and phase-in of new Augmentation program

equipment.

The Secretary of Defense announced transfer of the

Naval Missile Facility at Point Arguello, California,

to the Air Force together with Navy tracking stations

in the Pacific. The Air Force became the single

manager for ICBM and space tracking activities to

include control of the Atlantic Missile Range, the

Pacific Missile Range, and satellite control facilities located at Sunnyvale, California. The SCF was

directed to be "nationalized" to serve as the nucleus

for the development of one orbital facility for all

DOD programs.

The recovery capability was enhanced with the 76th

Air Rescue Squadron receiving lights to aid forces

during night operations marking the first time pararescue forces were permitted to enter the water at

night to perform rescue missions. That action also

provided more assurance that satellite payloads would

be p

rotected and reduced the chances of them sinking.

A .

6594th Aerospace Test Wing welcome brochure warned

Sunnyvale newcomers to be prepared to pay as much as

$100 per month for a furnished apartment and up to $115

monthly for an unfurnished home. Uniform of the day

was optional for officers; i.e., civilian or military

wear (until May 1964). Airmen wore duty uniforms and

everyone donned Class A's each Friday.
Twin Vela nuclear detection satellites first launched in October

1963 provided the U.S. with the capability to detect nuclear

detonations in the atmosphere or in outer space. Each vehicle

weighed about 300 pounds, measured five feet in diameter, and

employed solar cells for power req uirements. Developed and

produced by TRW Systems Group; launched by Space Systems Division.

46
December

4 December .

10-16 December

MOL

15 December

Construction began on the FM/FM Telemetry Ground

Station at Shemya, Alaska. Annette station equipment was used to save time and money. The Shemya

receiving station was temporarily installed in a

Navy hangar to satisfy a special project requirement with a shelter and radome following later.

Op

erations and maintenance were assumed by General

Electric after checkout by Philco around 20 April

of 1964.

The Hawaii Tracking Station received five motor

g

enerator sets ranging from 20 to 300 kilowatts.

The unit was reorganized using Air Force officers

as controllers bringing the squadron strength to

13 officer and 55 airmen authorizations along with

a total of 178 Lockheed contractor authorizations.

Three modified CH-3B helicopters were delivered to the 6593rd Test Sq (Special) replacing H-21's. The

CH-38's had a 350 nautical mile operating radius in

comparison with the H-21 version's 200 nautical mile

operating radius•.

Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamera assigned

resp

onsibility for development of the near-earth

Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program to the

Air Force. The first flight was tentatively planned

for late 1967 or early 1968. General Schriever,

AFSC Commander, assigned Space Systems Division

resp

onsibility for managing the entire military

manned space effort, including the MOL Program

and the unmanned glider flight test (ASSET) program.

The Vandenberg Tracking Station contract for Philco

p

ersonnel was discontinued leaving only Lockheed

contractor personnel assigned to civilian positions at the station.

47

28 December

Twelve family housing trailers arrived at the

SEQCM NOTE: MOL--no assombfteneith Indian Oce Station (lOS), from Malmstrom AFB, NR

an

O
48

January

1964

Design was completed for a $1.6 million facilities

modification alteration and building program for

Kodiak to support the Multi-Satellite Augmentation

Program (MSAP).

The MSAP equipment installed at Thule Tracking

Station was accepted by the Air Force.

January-June The Vandenberg Tracking Station Verlort and data van

were maintained in a standby status while MSAP equipment was phased in operationally. The CDC 1604 computer

was removed; however, Programmable Integrated Control

Equipment (PICE) remained in place although disconnected.

At this time, tracking and telemetry data arrived at the

STA in Sunnyvale via 100 wpm teletype or 1200 bps data

lines. The PICE acted as "buffer" and as a storage and

sampling device. Equipment included teletype and data

line translators.

The 6594th Aerospace Test Wing published Manual 375-1

which combined common operations procedures in a single

document.

Six recovery training capsules were fitted with Cook

Electric Marker Buoy beacons and strobe lights to make

them more realistic training aids.

Headquarters AFSC established the Headquarters National

Range Division (NRD) at Patrick AFB, Florida. The Air

Force Space Test Center was established at Vandenberg AFB.

Headquarters NRD was formed to coordinate launch and range

activities for both the Atlantic and Pacific Missile Ranges.

The PICE and 1604 computer at the New Boston (then New

Hampshire) Tracking Station were removed in preparation

for installation of MSAP Phase B equipment.

Lockheed proposed a two additional hook arrangement for

the recovery system and successfully tested the concept.

The Recovery Control Group's Test and Evaluation function

subsequently recommended adoption of an added in-line hook

configuration for the standard 78-foot loop.

2 January

14 January

20-30 January
49

17-

LL1

C.) OO

Li.

CI

-J

LLI O
50

The New Hampshire Tracking Station requested official

acceptance of initial (Phase A) MSAP equipment.

Problems with that equipment forced the station to

maintain its Verlort and Prelort telemetry systems

in an operational status until late May. The Angle

Tracker, UHF Command Transmitter, van-mounted telemetry

and timing components, and PICE were scheduled for

p

hase-out as the new MSAP equipment became operational.

Space Systems Division was named Air Force executive

for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) spacecraft.

An SSD program change proposal outlined rationale for

building a new satellite test center of 150,000 square

feet to be located at Vandenberg AFB. The recommendation

was made because the STA/Sunnyvale area was severely

restricted with regard to future growth potential.

Thus, even in early 1964, it was being officially documented that almost all of the 11.4 acres was occupied

and that added parking spaces had been leased from

Lockheed.

February

1 February

March

27 March

The access road to Kodiak was destroyed by the Great

Alaskan Earthquake.

April

May

All satellite programs operated within the Data Systems

Control sections were converted to the augmented data

system. Conversion began in the second half of 1963.

The 6594th Aerospace Test Wing accepted Phase A MSAP

equipment at the tracking stations. Phase B procurement

was initiated for the Kodiak, Vandenberg, and Hawaii

stations.

The former Research and Development Center became Los

Angeles Air Force Station and the home of SSD. Both the

center and former Navy DougTas facilities at the northwest corner of El Segundo and Aviation Blvds were

transferred from industrial to command facilities.

A study group led by Colonel B.W. Hunsaker, Hq AFSC,

recommended the reconsolidation of SSD and the Ballistic

Systems Division at LAAFS with a Deputy Commander for

Ballistic Missiles to be located at Norton AFB, California.
A new, semi-automatic teletype switch became

operational in the STA Communications Center.

Secure teletype circuits from the tracking

stations terminated in that switch on typing

rep

erforators. The system had six main tributary

stations with 28 ASR teletype machines. Three

other t

ributaries were available for spare equip

ment and internal comm center routing of administrative traffic. A "broadcast" feature allowed

transmission to any one or multiple tracking

facilities. With other cap

p abilities, this system

rovided near real-time communications.

I

nstallation of a Rixon Digital Generator 

permitted the New Hampshire Station's Crypto Section to

generate its own data signal, send that signal

on-line, and receive and evaluate the signal.

H

eadquarters NRD was organized at Hq AFSC. The

Hq Air Force Space Test Center (

i

Provisional) was

nactivated at Vandenberg AFB and Hq Air Force

Western Test Range was activated in its place.

Headquarters Eastern Test Range was redesignated

from "Air Force Missile Test Center" at Patrick

AFB, Florida. Both ranges were assigned to Hq NRD

as was the Satellite Test Annex at Sunnyvale.

Hickam AFB assumed responsibility for Hawaii

Tracking Station facilities maintenance. Four

p

ersonnel were authorized for assignment to the

station on day shifts only. Previously, all

maintenance had been handled on a case-by-case,

on-call basis.

22 May

Operating Location #2 was activated at Shemya,

Alaska.

One recovery aircraft and crew from the 6593rd Test

Sq (Special) were deployed from Hickam AFB to

Eielson AFB, Alaska, to assist Atomic Energy

Commission in sampling upper air o perations. Air

Sampler was a 300-pound device towed aloft by a

weather balloon to extreme altitudes. Released

payload packages were recovered by squadron aircraft.

The sampler resembled a trash barrel, hence the

proj

ect's name "ASHCAN." The sampler and a two-chute

tandem system were designed by the Edwards AFB

Operating Location #1.

51

1 May

1-5 May

15 May

20 May

June
52

June

14 June

17 June

1 July

Installation of a high-frequency, high-power radio

station at the STA was completed. Radio equipment

was installed at the AF Communications Service

tra nsmitter/receiver sites at Davis and Lincoln,

California. Audio and control circuits were connected

from the sites to a technical control facility at

McClellan AFB via microwave links. Interconnects to

four-wire telephone links remoted the system from

technical control to the STA. A remote control console at the STA controlled all important functions

without assistance from maintenance personnel.

The radio consisted of fourth generation Collins

Universal Radio Group components capable of sending

and receiving all four full independent voice channels

on a duplex frequency basis. Each voice channel

terminated in a transistorized telephone terminal

unit which provided an interface between the radio

and telephone systems. An elaborate antenna system

was installed for high gain, directional and low angle

radiation, with each antenna covering eight acres.

The entire system was installed by Ratheon Corporation

under Western GEEIA Region supervision.

Space Systems Division completed its move from Arbor

Vitae to El Segundo. Facilities at the new location

were declared operational on 15 June.

The Sacramento District Engineer opened bids to build

a 25,000 square foot building addition on the north

side of the STA. A contract was awarded to the Carl M.

Swenson Company for $777,000 with work. beginning 29 June.

Lockheed Plant Engineering installed Univac 1040 computer

system in three rooms of the STA for a cost of $42,000.

Installation of 600 post office boxes in Room 174 of the

STA was completed. Also accepted at the STA were a 123-car

parking lot and the lower portion of the 25,000 square foot

administrative building addition. Two Vela satellites were

launched making a total of four on-orbit. The long life

span of the Vela spacecraft provided never before available

information on the reliability of electronic components.

A four-month, fixed-price contract for the second phase of

the Space-Ground Link Subsystem was awarded to Space

Technology Laboratories and began on this date.

26 June

July
53
Juty-December Datafax terminals installed at the Kodiak and Thule

station circuits to provide the STA with a new mode

of communications began operating. Pictures of analog

information were sent from those stations to the STA in

near real-time, measuring Mg x 11" and arriving within

six minutes.

54

Despite problems resulting from the Great Alaskan

Earthquake of 27 March, augmentation construction at

Kodiak continued. A new ground station was installed

in .a remodeled data room about one-half mile from the

former station. Radar control equipment for the Prelort

tracking radar was also installed.

Phase C communications equipment was shipped to the

Indian Ocean Station and installed. This shipment was

the largest ever made to an Air Force tracking station

from the Eastern Test Range with 906 pieces of cargo

weighing a total of 868.79 long tons. Also arriving

at IOS were 19 house trailers, some in poor condition

since they had been deck loaded and damaged by storms

at sea.

At the STA in Sunnyvale, additional lines (400) were

required to increase the switchboard capacity to 1,000

lines. The telephone system then converted from a

three to four digit dial system.

July-August The 6593rd Test Sq (Special) supported Project ASHCAN

at Eielson AFB, Alaska, flying six JC-130 missions for

over 110 flying hours.

10 July A reorganization within the 6594th Aerospace Test Wing

resulted in formation of the Deputy for Test Engineering

charged with planning, orgahizing, directing, and

controlling assigned resources to provide optimum and

timely orbital support from a test bed.

15 July

Defense Secretary McNamera announced negotiations with

the Satellite Communications Corporation for a defense

comsat system were terminated and directed the DOD to

proceed with the full development of a military satcom

system to be built by Philco-Ford. This would become

the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program

(IDCSP).
55

NASA's 5yncom III synchronous orbit comsat was

launched into space and positioned over the

Pacific where it would handle communications

between Clark AB, PI, and Camp Roberts, California.

During the next month, Syncom III was used for DOD

military communications experiments between Saigon.

Republic of Vietnam, and Hawaii.

September-Oct A one-story Research and Engineering building was

completed at Vandenberg Tracking Station for

$300,000, adding 16,000 square feet to the facility.

13 October All PICE equipment was removed from Vandenberg

Tracking Station.

22 October With Phase B of the MSAP equipment installation

accepted at the New Hamsphire Tracking Station,

a dual tracking capability was achieved.

November Due to an increasing requirement for added

computing speed, more random access storage

and expandable core storage, a decision was

reached to replace four CDC 1604 computers with

five CDC 3600 computer complexes at the STA.

The 3600 variety was selected since it met all

criteria and was program-compatible with the 1604. Installation was slated to begin in July 1965 with

completion by April 1966.

A request for seven additional C-130 aircraft and

three more CH-3B helicopters to meet increasing

recovery workloads was sent to the Secretary of

the Air Force and the Air Staff. •

A *bile Tracking Station was authorized which

would provide a satellite control capability at

any required area of the world as either a total

station within a net or as a backup at a site

inoperative due to natural disaster or modification.

Also available as a test bed for approved modifications, the .Mobile Tracking Station was to be air

transportable and capable of being made fully operational within 30 days of deployment.

9 August

14 September

The Kaena Point Missile Tracking Site was officially

redesignated as the Kaena Point Satellite Tracking

Station by Hq PACAF.
ol•••

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56

1964 - STC C ')NTROL AREA
1 December

Two 1604 main frames were 

pur p chased by means of a urchase option contract with CDC for $594,000.

The main access road to Kodiak Tracking Station which was destroyed by the late March earthquake and tidal wave was made passable again. the interim, an al Dur ing ternate resupply effort and sea proved inad by air

equateto support MSAP Without a road, the Navy objectives. provided all station supplies

via sea and air. Often the weather made resupply i mpossible and shortages developed.. At one time the station was without 

period ,

gasoline for a three-day

P and down to a one-day supply of meat. erionnel with families living in town used a

bush pilot service to get to work and home 

again when Weather conditions allowed.

28 November

Administrative/emergency housing was co

an addition at Thule Tracking Station. mpleted

Th

with

p e rovided much needed office space, 

a. kitchen,

facility

e

mergency housing, a training classroom, new 

system, and f heating lush-type toilets plus a three-stall garage area for vehicle storage and maintenance.

December

At this time the STA utilized eight Bird Buffer

systems and one control computer (all CDC 160-A's).

1 November •

14 December

Modifications to all CDC 1604 systems were with obsolete 1607 tape units re complete

placed by 606 tape units and the 088 card reader replaced by a 405 card reader.

21 December

The 6593rd Test Sq (Specil) resued a srfer l his s urfboard being swep

a

t out ta

c

 sea off

u

 Oahu'

ess

s northwest coast.

1965

January-April

Both the Fort Dix, New Jersey, and the 

California, op

Caoe erating locations were inactivateddrts,

With full utilization of MSAP-B equipment su Program P-11, Program 241, and Sna pshot, multi

pporting

satellite op -

New erations had become routine from the Hamp

shire Tracking Station. Project ASHCAN

continued to receive Recovery Control Group 

support recording five recoveries at Eielson and 13 

in the Panama Canal Zone. recoveries

57
58

January-June

1 January

The Mobile Tracking Station (MTS) 

Tracking Station eq

project used Annette

uipment as its basic element. All MTS elements were c

onfigured in vans with the first operational requirement anticipated in September 1965.

Two portable T

elemetry and Command stations were

collocated with existing SCF network facilities at

Mahe Island and Hawaii for supporting Syncom satel- lites. The Mahe station was operational on 11 February. A third Syncom station at Orote Point, Guam, became

operational on 24 May.

Following a series of power failures at the STA caused the loss of computational which

emergency o capabilities, two perating locations were first was a computer facility 

established. The

provided by CDC in Alto for use only during Palo short-duration powe to provide normal outa communications between the r STA and

the tracking stations. A second 01 involved 

relocation of operational functions within the STA to the 

of the Systems Data offices Corp

Ca oration at Santa Monica,

lifornia, to provide test control, analysis 

and data processing. support,

During the first few months of 1965, the Mission 

Complex (MCC) concept was developed and a Control

elements of program control were pproved. All

consolidated in single centers with the first MCC established in Complex #5 to

serve as a test for the idea.

A self

-contained 2-digit dial system was installed 

the ACES and became for operational. It had the capability of 100 station lines and eight simultaneous 

conversations. The former system was limited to two simultaneous 

sations and had a 36-line conver- cap p ability. The new system rovided complete inter-communicating 

all computer functions capabilities with

flights. supporting real-time satellite

The Eastern Test Range became responsible for base support

of the Indian Ocean Station. Pan American World Airways

was the prime contractor for the 

belonged to Philco-Ford. project which previously

NASA transferred operation of Syncom II and III synchronous s

atellites to the Defense Department which had the com provided munications ground stations for the program.
The Air Staff allocated five more C-130 

aircraft to the 6594th Recovery Control Group; three 

new, more p being

owerful HC-130H ARS long-range types;

and two being C-1308 models from Tactical Air

Command. All were modified by the Warner Air Materiel Area with All American Robins

Company Aerial Recovery E Engineering

q

Electric Company uipment and new Cook

miniaturized 

systems. direction finding

A new access road to Thule Tracking Station opened for ve was hicular traffic. The former 

access road had been more hazardous and was often 

during high wind conditions. closed

Verlort data vans were permanently removed from the Vandenberg Tracking Station after more 

six years on station. (Vans were than

the Atomic Energy Commission.) transferred to

A Syncom II telemetry van was delivered to 

the Indian Ocean Station. Hughes Aircraft employ ees

cross-trained Philco-Ford 

tions and technicians on opera- ma intenance of the 5 A m yncom• equipment. akeshift antenna was mounted on a S

antenna cherr

yncom y

-picker prior to the arrival 

the intended antenna in June. of

59

12 January

28 January

29 January

1 February

The Corps of Engineers accepted the 25,000 squ

foot, Carl N. Swenson & Company 

administrative addition to the STA.

Operations of the ums Lonvview and USI6 Sun vale were assumed by the Air Force Western Test 

Range from the Navy's Pacific Missile Range. O

perations control was delegated to the 6594th Recovery Control

was withdrarm.

Group. Navy h

elicopter support of the USNS Sun vale

February-June A contract for modifications 

a ssociated with

lation of CDC 3600 computers was let by theth

 Corps

instal

Engineers to the Chamberlain of Construction Company at the cost of $342,000. First phase beneficial

occupancy was achieved on 29 June 1965.

The Air Staff a llocated three CH-3B 

the Recovery Control Group with helicopters to

modi fications by Sikorsky ($36;500) with internal fuel tanks for 

range, special f more

eq lotation gear, doppler navigation

uipment, SSB radios, more batteries, and other mission equipment.

4 February
60

10 February

19 February

March

3 March

18 March

23 March

April

1 April

Installation of an equipment van pad, antenna cable tray, pedestal, and uti lity/power connections for the Syncom

program were completed at Kodiak Tracking Station.

The Director of Aerospace Instrumentation agreed to

procure five modular telemetry subsystems for use on

JC-130 aircraft to provide a capability to record an

entire telemetry link, to 

up to six FM/FM channels.

demodulate, and to display

A Philco-Ford in

(a stallation team began assembling "Augie" ugmentation program) Prelort radar at the Vandenberg Tracking Station.

General Bernard A. Schriever, Commander AFSC, announced

plans to develop a wingless, m

as a f aneuverable reentry vehicle ollow-onto the ASSET program. The new vehicle, under SSD management, was part of the 

Including Precision Recovery Maneuverable Reentry (PRIME) 

PRIME and ASSET program. Both

programs were part of the lare Sp

acecraft Technology and Advanced Reentry Tes

g

t

r

program. (START)

Soviet Cosmonaut Leonov became the first man to walk in

space sp

ending 12 minutes and nine seconds floating outside his s pacecraft to which he was connected by

a 16-foot cord of nylon material.

Astronauts Virgil Grissom and John Young were launched

from Cape Canaveral on a three-orbit mission (Gemini 3)

in the first of the manned Gemini series. During that

initial mission, the spacecraft was maneuvered in orbit,

changed its orbital path, and both represented "firsts"

in space achievements.

The STA switchboard was expanded to five positions.

Microwave and teletype/voice wire operational circuits

were installed between VTS and Santa Monica as part of

an emergency backup system for 

c

primary operational ommunications lines. Also, a new o perational voice circuit was established between Vandenberg Tracking

Station and the STA as part of the MSAP program, Phase B.

The U.S. Navy withdrew helicopter support for the USE langiew and the USNS Sunnyvale was modified to permit

operation of CH-3B helicopters.
3 April

21 May

June

3 June

18 . June

July

61

A Snapshot vehicle (SNAP 10-A) carrying an onboard nuclear

reactor to generate el ectricity for its ion engine, marked

the first attempt to test a reactor ion system in orbit. Additional payloads included an impedance 

gauge, density gauge, probe, erosion micrometeorite detectors, and an ionosphere beacon. The SCF provided complete tracking and telemetry support for 45 days.

A mobile clothing sales van reported over $1,200 in 

to SAFS p sales ersonnel during a recent visit. Hamilton AFB

announced that the van would be scheduled for 

trips in the future. quarterly

A host-tenant agreement between the 6594th Aerospace Test

Wing and the 3960th Support Wing (SAC), Anderson AFB, Guam,

was concluded for the Mobile Tracking Station (01-10), at

Northwest Field.

The USNS Longview received modifications to support CH-3B helicopter operations.

Support studies showed that the Manned Orbiting 

(MOL) p Laboratory rogram should use the SCF for network support with

a MOL Control Center to be located within the•STA.

A Flat Plane Array antenna system replaced the Disc-onRod system at Kodiak Tracking Station.

In the Gemini 4 s pacecraft, Astronauts McDivitt and White

were launched on a near 98 hour flight during which

White became the first American to "walk" in space.

H

eadquarters ARDC officially approved the title "Satellite Control F

acility" for a new organization to be created from the merger of the SSD's Deputy for Space Test Operations

and the 6594th Aerospace Test Wing.

Syncom ground stations arrived at Guam and Hawaii Tracking

Stations. Guam had two trailers and an antenna which were

moved to the tracking station in November, thereby consolidating all SCF facilities on the island.

The Air Force

the U.S. Navy

Station.

Western Test Range assumed the functions of Pacific Test Range at Point Mugu Naval

Construction

Space-Ground began on the Vandenberg Tracking Station

Link Subsystem (SGLS) building.
62

Colonel Walter H. Hedrick, Jr., replaced Colonel

William K. Kincaid as AFSCF Commander.

Direct dialing telephone communications were

established between Space Systems Division (SSD),

Vandenberg Tracking Station, and the Satellite

Test Annex.

H

eadquarters Air Force Satellite Control Facility

(AFSCF) was designated and organized at Los Angeles

AFS, and assigned to SSD. Det-1, AFSCF, was designated and organized along with the 6594th Support

Group at Sunnyvale. Colonel Hedrick was Commander

of Det-1. Headquarters 6594th Aerospace Test Wing

at Sunnyvale, and the previous "Det-1" at Donnelly

Flats, Alaska, were discontinued. Former test wing

units which transferred to the new AFSCF, were:

6594th Instrumentation Squadron (INS); 6596th INS,

the 6594th Recovery Control Group; and the 6594th

Test Squadron. Thus, by the end of the month, all

g

eographically separated units and six Hq AFSCF

directorates reported directly to the AFSCF Commander.

This realignment was directed "to create an efficient,

flexible organization capable of performing all satel- lite control functions."

July-December Facility modifications for the SGLS began at the

Vandenberg Tracking Station and Thule Tracking Station

both having been designated "demonstration ground

stations."

A site survey team examined Atlas F and Titan I sites

at three locations for "Mble Hole" installation. Mole

Hole was the nickname for a program concerning development of hardened remote tracking stations and/or a

control center located within the continental U.S.

In one STA complex, a CDC 8032 digital-to-analog

conversion system was installed providing visual

display and permanent recording of selected parameters

in real-time. Inputs to the system came directly from

the tracking stations via CDC 160-A computers.

The Hawaii Tracking Station began deactivating its

inactive non-MSAP equipment.

The 6594th Test Squadron Photography was established

as an Air Force Special Projects Production Facility

and assigned to Space Systems Division.

Syncom equipment installation was completed at the

Kodiak Tracking Station.

23 July

1 July
27 August

25 August

18 August

3 August

1 August

August

Fort Greely Tracking Station began modifications necessary to support Program 461. • •

The first two of five CDC 3600 computer systems

Were installed at the STA signaling the beginning

of CDC 1604 model replacement.

The first JC-130H aircraft was delivered to the

6593rd Test Sq (Special). The "H" model provided

greater fuel capacity, increased range, and a •

capability to transport more weight than the

prior "B" model.

A four-channel microwave system between the

Vandenberg Tracking Station (VTS) and Range

Telemetry Central (RTC) at Vandenberg AFB was

comp

leted. The system had four links from YTS

V3 the RTC and three links from the RTC to VTS

for subsequent relay to the STA via existing

cap

abilities with the Western Union wideband

telemetry system.

Final tests were concluded with the 6-hook "T"

recovery loop by the 6594th Recovery Control

Group. The *7" loop proved as capable as, but not superior to, the operational loop in use.

As a result, the extant loop was retained.

A Communicattons-Electronics Implementation Plan (CEIP) to install AN/MSC 46 communications satel

lite (IDCSP) ground station was submitted to AFSC

to improve c

ommunications between the Indian Ocean

Station and the STA. The request was disapproved

due to a lack of adequate funding.

President Johnson announced that he had approved

the DOD plans for MOL development at a cost of

$1.5 billion. The Air Force was to continue its

management of the MOL Program. Douglas Aircraft

Company was to design and build the spacecraft

to be placed into orbit using a Titan IIIM version

of the Titan IIIC space launch vehicle.

The AFSCF was asked to consolidate and update all

previous studies on moving the STA or expanding

at Sunnyvale. General Schriever received an

informal p

resentation on the subject and a decision

was made to expand current facilities.

63
30 August

31 August

September

Having reached a decision to expand current facilities at Sunnyvale rather than move the STA elsewhere, an interim exp

ansion plan was completed and revised later

somewhat to reduce costs.

The Secretary of the Air Force named General 

Schriever as Director of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL)

program in addition to his duties as AFSC Commander.

A Muirhead 300A automatic sa tellite picture recorder

was installed at the STA in the weather office and

connected to a Tiros/Nimbus readout station at

Vandenberg AFB, California. Photographs from each

satellite pass were sent to the STA weather facility and reproduced on the recorder.

Four circuits were activated between the STA and two data, one voice, and one Guam; tel routed through the etYPe. All four were

Trans-Pacific cable for $85,864 per month.

64

2 September

17 September

22 September

The Hawaii Tracking Station assumed the workload of

a p

hased-out South Point Tracking Station after

modifying its TIM-18 antenna to accept a 136 Mhz signal.

The Guam Tracking Station (GTS) was activated at

Anderson AFB, Guam, as OL-10, It was configured in

a van complex and rep

resented the SCF's first attempt

to provide a complete command tracking and telemetry

capability in a mobile facility. The complex had nine technical, seven power, one 

seven adm maintenance, and

inistrative support vans. Site selection

was completed the prior April; 

on 2 construction began July; and technical vans arrived on 2 September.

The alternate satellite test center became fully

operational at Santa Monica, California.

The first of many subsequent Bird Buffer CDC 160-A

memory upgrades were made to increase the ca

from 16 to 24K. pability

Direct dial access was installed in the Satellite Test

Annex linking the STA with the Space Systems Division.

After concluding that the MARS station was not being used sufficiently to continue its o peration, and with

inadequate equipment, the station at the STA was cloted.

66

October

Two CDC 1604 computers were removed from the STA.

The first of several subsequent Bird Buffer CDC 

memory capa 160-A city upgrades occurred increasing the size from 16K to 24K.

Direct dial access was i nstalled between Space Systems Division in Los Angeles and the STA at. Sunnyvale.

10 October

The MARS station at Sunnyvale was closed due to a lack of adequate interest to sustain o

equipment. peration and i nadequate

By this time the 6593rd Test Sq (S

pecial) had received two more new JC-130H aircraft giving the unit a total of 10, J

C-1306's; three C-130H's; and six CH-3B copters. heli13, 14 October

The first of many AFSCF Commander's Conferences was

tradition. conducted at Los Angeles. The event became an annual

27 October The Space-Ground Link Subsystem (SGLS) contractor delivered SGLS demonstration ground station 

to Vandenberg Tracking Station. equipment

Aircraft and crews from the Group p 6594th Recovery Control erformed the first s

Air Launched uccessful recovery of an R

ecoverable Rocket (ALARR) since that

program began in the spring of 1964. The group 

flew JC-130B aircraft and logged 50 hours in support of

ALARR between Jul y-December 1965.

The.

 Integrated Commanding System (ICS) for the Phase B

MSAP program satellite operations center (SOC) was

installed at Vandenberg Tracking Station with testing

scheduled through the end of the year.

Interim STA ex p

ansion began by essentially adding four mission control complexes (MCC s) to function as the

central control point for monitoring, 

and s up coordination, ervision of the network. The plan called for extensive modi fications to the operations building, stan

dardization of MCC layouts, and an increase in the s

witching capacity for added output display devices.

29 October

November

2 November
17 November

December

3 December

9 December

67

In .response to a request from the. Deputy

Director for the MDL program, the AFSCF

submitted a position paper on the use of

the STA facilities versus the NASA Manned

Spacecraft Center in Houston to support

manned military space operations. The

paper pointed out wide differences in

mission support capabilities, concepts,

and configurations between NASA and the

AFSCF.

•

A third CDC 1604 computer was removed from

the STA.

A total of 21 entries were received in a contest

conducted to select an AFSCF organizational

emblem. •

In the Seychelles, British Colonial Secretary

Greenwood announced that Britain had agreed

to construct a civil airfield in the islands

providing links to India and Africa. The

airport was also projected as a significant

boost to the economy of the Seychelles.

The final design for the interim STA expansion was completed.

15, 16 December Gemini 6 was launched and rendezvoused with

Gemini 7 on the first such mission in the U.S.

space program. In addition, astronauts from

Gemini 6 performed the first controlled reentry

to a predetermined landing point in the program.

19 December

28 December

A telecomMunications program objective was sent

up the chain-of-command from the AFSCF which

described a plan for a feasibility test of the

Initial Defense Satellite Communications 5ystem

(IDCSS) between the Indian Ocean Station and

Antigua.

Philco-Ford employee Martin Shreidan was

admitted to the Seychelles Victoria Hospital

with paralysis of the legs diagnosed as Type I

Polio. All Indian Ocean Station personnel and

local hire employees received oral polio vaccine

unless otherwise vaccinated. At this time the

Seychelles reported several cases of polio

annually.
68

January

12 January

8 March

10 March

16 March

25 March

28 March

31 March

1966 

A third CDC 3600 computer was installed in the STA.

The Calibration Satellite (CALSAT) program was devised

to p

rovide calibration of the SCF's tracking network

and readiness activities such as equipment and software

checkout, joint SCF and NRD exercises, 

prelaunch readi- ness checks, etc.

Designed for newly assigned personnel at the SCF and

its tracking stations, the "Training and Checkout, or

TACO" p

rogram was initiated to extend the useful life

of SCF vehicles by assigning obsolete satellites for

training and equipment checkout purposes.

The National Security Agency (NSA) was briefed on the

MOL program with the AFSCF acting as an interface

between that program and the agency.

The 6594th Recovery Control Group was redesignated

as the 6594th Test Group with no change in station

or assignment.

In Gemini 8, astronauts David R. Scott and Neil

Armstrong p

erformed the first American space-docking

experiment with an unmanned Gemini Agena Target Vehicle.

Phase B of the MSAP was o perational at the Hawaii

Tracking Station with full support ca pabilities for Air Force satellite programs.

The fourth CDC 3600 computer was accepted for operational use at the STA and the last CDC 1604 computer

was on its way out.

A contract was let to convert AFSCF timing to the

Inter-Range I nstrumentation Group formatted time

codes according to DOD/National Range Division

directives. Joint goals included all remote tracking

stations and the STA to be converted by June 1967

to improve accuracies and correlation techniques.

Fort Greely, Alaska, became o perationally ready as

Operating Location #8, Donnelly Flats, Alaska.

Of the four CDC 3600 computer systems turned over for

op

erational use at the STA by the end of the month,

only one system remained to be turned over in order

to complete the replacement of CDC 1604 models.

6 April

28 April
Nay

30 May

16 June

July

Work statements and design 

p

specifications for rocurement of 110-foot radomes were initiated

for the Hawaii, Guam, and Vandenberg Tracking

Stations.

The NASA Surveyor I s pacecraft was carried to the moon on an Atlas/Centaur vehicle in the first of

a series of seven Surveyors designed to develop

soft-landing techniques and provide basic scien- tific and engineering data supporting Project

Apollo. On 2 June, Surveyor soft-landed on the

moon and became the first U.S. s pacecraft to do so and to transmit television pictures back to

the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

A Titan IIIC placed eight satellites into near- synchronous orbits 18,200 miles above the equator.

Seven represented the first military comsat system, the Initial Defense Satellite Communications

System (IDSCS). Each of the 36" x 32" satellites

could relay 600 voice or 6,000 teletype channels.

(The eighth vehicle in the launch was a gravity

gradient test spacecraft.) The "A" side of the

Vandenberg Tracking Station simultaneously

sup

ported one satellite while the "8" side 

supported the remaining satellites further 

multiple o demonstrating perations support from a single AFSCF tracking station.

After about nine months of in-residence examination of op

erations and contractor personnel

utilization at the STA, the GAO advised that

contractor employees in 081N areas of the STA

represented a form of personnel procurement not authorized by law. I rregularities involved an

intra-mix of military and contractor 

i.e., p

personnel, erformance of like functions, contractors working under Air Force su pervision, and vice-versa.

Three tracking stations (HTS, YTS, and NHS), were

also noted as failing to meet the criteria of

legality. An implementation plan correcting the irregularities was developed by the AFSCF and SSD

to a 

then approved by Hq AFSC on 9 April 1968 leading reorganization of the AFSCF.

69
oP

The eight satellites depicted in this model were launched on

18 Jan 1967 forming the second p

Defense Satellite ortion of the on-orbit Initial Communications System (IDSCS) constellation. A Titan IIIC was also used to launch the first seven 

vehicles into orbit on 16 Jun 1966. IDSCS
71

July-December

The Integrated Commanding System (ICS) became operational at the SCF for real-time selection of command

source, verification source, and transmitter

configuration.

Installation of the first five cathode ray tube

(CRT) devices was completed at the STA as alternatives to the existing computer printer displays.

Mul ti-operations were begun using the Scheduling

Control and Resource Allocation Buffer Link (SCRABL).

The SCRABL evolved from a "SCHOPS" program used

since January 1964 to prepare all SCF schedules,

• flight and non-flight activities. It did not

schedule computers within the STA nor i nstallation, checkout, or maintenance activities. As part of

the augmentation program, SCHOPS evolved into

SCRABL via technical inputs made in early 1965 to

Systems Development Corporation and the 

Corp

Aerospace

oration. The result was a centralized scheduling

program (SCRABL) for the addition of station downtime, equipment modifications, and computer operations, to operations support inputs. These were incorporated

into a single, 90-day forecast, 30-day schedule and a

final, more detailed, 7-day schedule in which conflict

resolution was accomplished.

9July

The fifth and final CDC 3600 computer system was

accepted by the AFSCF's Data Systems Office.

Aug-September

Vandenberg Tracking Station "A" and "B" computer

complexes were turned over to the Air Force thus

giving that station multiple satellite support

capabilities having installed and demonstrated the SGLS.

31 August

General Bernard A. Schriever, AFSC Commander,

retired after 32 years of military service.

He had played a pivotal role in guiding development of the Air Force ballistic missile and

 space , programs.

1 September

Colonel William G. King, Jr., assumed command of

the AFSCF replacing Col Walter H. Hedrick, Jr.

19 September

Secretary of. Defense McNamera and Lord Shackelton

(U.K.), a pproved i mplementation of an agreement

calling for the U.S. to design, develop, fabricate,

and launch two synchronous comsats for the interim U.K. op

erational defense satcom capability as part

of the IDSCS program. The project later became

known as "Skynet."
72

21 December

31 December

The first Precision Recovery Including Maneuvering

Reentry (PRIME) vehicle was launched to explore and

advance development of possible future manned and

unmanned lifting body vehicles that would have the

capability of operating like a spacecraft in orbit

while being able to fly and maneuver like an aircraft

in the sensible atmosphere. Research would be applied

later to the Space Transportation System's technology.

A formal a greement was signed between the United States

and the United Kingdom concerning the Indian Ocean

Station, /the Island, Seychelles, with public announcement following on 25 April 1967.

1967

January

11 January

18 January

27 January

February

8 March

April

The 6593rd Test Squadron (Special) supported its final

ASHCAN mission and the project was transferred to the

Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service (URS).

Space Systems Division selected Hughes Aircraft Company

as the contractor to proceed with research and development of the experimental communications satellite for

all U.S. military services. This project led to what

became known later as the Tactical Communications Satellite (TACSAT).

Another eight IDSCS satellites were placed into orbit

resulting in a total of 15 on-orbit vehicles in the

system.

Astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee, training for

the first Apollo flight, died when a flash fire swept

through their command module as it sat on the ground.

It was NASA's worst accident to date. Four Soviet

cosmonauts were known to have died in space accidents

along with an unknown but probable number of others.

A housing survey in the Sunnyvale area revealed that

station personnel were paying from $50 to $200 more

per month than their current quarters allowance.

The contract for the Skynet defense comsat (part of

IDSCS) was awarded to Philco-Ford by the Space Systems

Division.

Equipment comprising the former Sunnyvale MARS station

was relocated to Hamilton AFB, California. The station

at Sunnyvale was closed in October 1965.
73

12 April

28 April

1 May

12 May

The AFSCF's official emblem was approved by Hq USAF

adopting both the motto and emblem (with minor

revisions) of the former 6594th Aerospace Test Wing.

Two new and heavier (498 pounds) Vela nuclear

detection satellites and three scientific satellites

were placed into orbit from Cape Canaveral. The

Vela vehicles joined six other Vela s pacecraft on

vigilant duty some 69,000 miles above the earth.

A contract was let for the first portion of an

Advanced STC project representing a totally new

data handling system, new display system, new communications system, and new support systems.

One portion of the effort, the Expanded Communications Electronics System (EXCELS), would replace

a manual communications system with an automated,

centrally controlled, da ta-serviced subsystem

designed to interface with and use "Advanced Data

System" capabilities. The ADS, another feature

of the Advanced STC project, provided for an IBM

360/67 triplex computer system at the STC; Univac

1230 military tactical computers at the tracking

stations; and a control and display subsystem at

at the STA with an EXCELS interface and supporting

software. Other major components of the ADS effort

included CDC 3800 computers and telephone systems.

The Advanced STC concept provided for establishing

a single operational entity with a network control

center charged with control over the SCF and support

for all MCC's. All services provided to one MCC

would be available to other MCC's regardless of

their location. Implementation of the SGLS and

ADS would provide a standard simplified ground

environment for supporting existing and future

space systems. Under this project, the former

and advanced STC versions would be tied together

physically and electrically, but most importantly,

functionally and procedurally.

Bids were advertised for a permanent Guam Tracking

Station to replace the mobile tracking facility.

Bidding began on 26 June and a low bid of 51.6

million was obtained. Occupancy was scheduled

in late August of 1968.
74

15 May

28 June

29 June

July-December

1 July

31 July

21 September

November

1 November

Lockheed Missiles and Space Company was awarded a

contract for the Advanced Data System (ADS) with a

target cost of $36 million to provide satellite

operations support for the 1970-1975 time period.

Two scientific satellites (one Army, one Navy), were

launched as the first flight in the DOD Space Experiments Support Program (SESP). This was a tri-service

effort allowing qualified government-sponsored space

experiments to fly payloads on Air Force boosters

under management of the Space Systems Division.

Final approval was obtained to acquire seven CDC 3800

computer systems to replace the 3600 models during

the major data systems upgrade, Advanced STC project.

The National Range Division (NRD) was disbanded with

the AFSCF maintaining contact with ranges through

Headquarters AFSC.

Functions and personnel of SSD and the Ballistic

Missile Division were combined to form the Space

and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) to which

the AFSCF was reassigned.

Three of six satellites launched from Cape Canaveral

completed the IDSCS on-orbit constellation, later

known as the Initial Defense Communications Satellite

Program (IDCSP).

Brigadier General Jessup D. Lowe assumed command of

the AFSCF replacing Colonel William G. King, Jr.

Plans to acquire and install 40-foot antenna in place

of 14-foot antenna at the SCF, YTS, HIS, and NHS were

sent to Hq AFSC for a high gain antenna capability

acquisition. This plan was related to the PCM ground

station operations portion of the Advanced STC project.*

The DOD directed SAMSO to procure a comsat system for

NATO essentially duplicating the U.K. Skynet comsat

system developed and built by Philco-Ford.

Fort Greely, Donnelly Flats, Alaska, was placed on

caretaker status and inactivated.

* Note: The ADS, SGLS, PCM, and EXCELS projects were all developed to

meet an increasing amount of operational requirements for the

AFSCF, and collectively, they represented an integrated effort

to expand SCF capabilities.
75

1968 

January-June Congress released funds for constructing the

"Advanced STC" and an associated power plant at

Sunnyvale following site development which began

on 4 October 1967 with completion in April 1968.

Site development for what is now Bldg 1003, included

more parking; a re-routed traffic flow; demolition

of streets, curbs, sidewalks; and the 'relocation of

underground utilities.

The AFSCF received its first Air Force Outstanding

Unit Award (AFOUA). It covered the period from

1 January to 31 December 1967.

April Space and Missile Systems Organization initiated

procurement of a two-satellite system for NATO.

13 April Installation of SGLS equipment began at the Hawaii

Tracking Station.

1 MO Hughes Aircraft Company and TRW Systems Group

were awarded contracts by SAMSO to prepare

preliminary designs for a navigation satellite

system for providing precise navigation using

high-speed aircraft (System 621B).

13 June An additional eight, 100-pound comsats were

launched into near-synchronous orbits increasing

the size of the on-orbits constellation of IDCSP

vehicles.

27 June installation of SGLS equipment began at Kodiak

Tracking Station.

12 August High resolution, closed-circuit television systems

became operational in MCC's 2, 3 and 4.

7 September The first SGLS-configured satellite was tracked

with the SGLS system.

26 September Of four satellites launched on this date, the

Primary payload was a Lincoln Experimental Satellite (LES-6). It was the second all-solid-state,

UHF band comsat to be placed in a synchronobs orbit.

The satellite was used to test communications between

aircraft, ships, and ground forces.

28 January
76

8 October

Qualified contractors were asked 

their by SAMS° to submit p

roposals for development of an advanced system

for satellite communications known as the Defense

Satellite Communications System Phase II (DSCS II).

11 October

The first U.S. manned flight in the Apollo Program

was launched. Apollo 7 and its three astronauts

orbited the earth for 10 days during which the

first American telecast from space was recorded.

21 December

The "Christmas flight" around the moon began for a

six-day mission by Apollo 8. Three astronauts

circled the moon 10 times taking pictures of that

body and the Earth which were beamed back on television broadcasts.

14 January

31 January

. 9 February

3 March

18 March

1969

The 6593rd Test Sq (Special) used CH-38 helicopters

to evacuate 20 critically burned seamen and three

medics from the USS nter ri after several explosions

aboard the aircraft cars er.

Installation of advanced SGLS wideband receivers was

comp

leted at the NHS and GTS on 2 February and at VTS

on 11 March.

TACSAT I (Hughes Aircraft) was launched into a 19,300

nautical mile near-synchr3nous Orbit from Cape Canaveral.

At 1,600 pounds and measuring 9-feet by 25-feet, this

was the largest comsat yet launched and orbited by the

U.S. TACSAT I was used to determine the feasibility of

communications repeators with small mobile ground

tactical communications equipment, as well as the

p

ossibility of conducting satellite communications

over great distances. Design life was estimated at

five years.

A $74 million contract was awarded to TRW Systems Group

by SAMSO for development and production of six flight

models of an advanced comsat for the DSCS II effort

using steerable, narrow-beam antennas to increase

performance.

The Hawaii Tracking Station at Kaena Point became the

first SCF network remote tracking facility to support

real-time op

erations using the Advanced Data System (ADS).
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25 March

31 March

The Guam Tracking Station (GTS) entered the SCF's

operational inventory with no flight limiting

discrepancies. The mobile tracking station,

configured in numerous vans since September 1965,

supported its last pass on 15 February.

The cost of living in the Sunnyvale area continued

its rise with NCO's spending from $60 to $70 and

officers from $70 to $100 over their BAQ for living

a

ccommodations. Some substandard housing was

available at Parks AFB, Pleasanton, through the

Alameda Naval Air Station.

Installation of the Advanced Data System at Vandenberg

Tracking Station was completed.

General Dynamics/Convair, Lockheed, North American

Rockwell, and McDonnell-Douglas were selected by the

Space and Missile Systems Organization to prepare

design concepts for a reusable space vehicle for the

Space Transportation System.

Permanent structures at GTS were completed consisting

of a new technical building with living accommodations

for 75 persons; a power generating station; and a new

60-foot Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding (TT&C)

antenna.

25 April

May

15 May

22 May

Advanced Data System (ADS) and SGLS equipment and

other modifications were completed at the Guam

Tracking Station.

23 May Two more Vela spacecraft were launched into orbit also

representing the conclusion of the Titan III's

research and development program initiated in 1962.

29 May

Thule Tracking Station SGLS/ADS equipment installation

WS completed.

6 June

10 June

New Hampshire Tracking Station ADS equipment completed

installation.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Packard announced the

cancellation of the MOL program due to a continuing

need to reduce Federal defense spending and advances

in automated techniques for unmanned satellite systems.

The $5.6 million Advanced STC which had been groomed

for MOL support and all contractural obligations were

either cancelled or underwent extensive analysis after

this announcement. The DOD had spent $1.3 billion on

the program to date. Cancellation was a "major step"

toward reducing the military budget.
16 June Space Transportation System contractors selected

by SAMS° in May were awarded contracts for the

study of STS design concepts and technical objectives.

79

The first primate mission Biosatellite was launched;

other 21-day and 30-day missions were cancelled due

to a lack of NASA funds.

16-20 July Apollo 11, first lunar landing mission was launched.

On 20 July, two astronauts set down on the Sea of

Tranquility. Astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the

first of 12 men to eventually walk on the moon.

26 July Advanced Data System installation was completed at

the Kodiak Tracking Station with Univac 1230 mTc's

replacing the CDC 160-A computer complexes at the

remote tracking stations.

29 July Brigadier General Lewis S. Norman, Jr., replaced

Brig Gen Jessup D. Lowe as AFSCF Commander.

October Both NASA and the Air Force agreed on development

of a reusable space vehicle to meet military and

civilian space requirements. NASA proposed a twostage shuttle with a cargo area 60 feet long and

15 feet in diameter.

2 October Installation of the ADS at the Hawaii Tracking

Station was completed.

13 October The. Guam Mobile Tracking Station was officially

deactivated.

3 November

21 ?Wernher

29 June

Mahe Island, Seychelles, issued the first set of

new postage stamps of which the ten-cent variety

featured a representation of the U.S. Air Force/

AFSCF remote tracking station.

Skynet 1A, first of two Skynet military comsats

for the U.K., was launched with a design life of

three years. The satellite was turned over for

operations to the U.K. on 30 January 1970. It

weighed 535 pounds at liftoff and measured 54" x

61.8" overall. Skynet satellites could be used

in conjunction with the IDCSP satellites of the U.S.
80

28 November

3 December

Headquarters AFSC submitted SAMSO's plan for a precise

navigation satellite system to Hq USAF. This later

became the Defense Navigation Satellite System.

Beneficial occupancy of Building 1003 (formerly called

the "Advanced STC") was achieved with construction 99

percent complete.

1970

28 January An agreement was concluded for the AFSCF to operate the

Camp Parks Radiometric Test Facility with approval from

SAMSO's Deputy for Space Communications Systems.

17 February The Air Force and NASA signed an agreement to insure

that the STS would provide maximum utility to both

military and civilian users at lower 0&M costs than

the existing (missile) space launch systems. NASA

would manage STS development and a NASA-USAF committee

would review the overall program to guarantee that it

did indeed meet DOD as well as NASA requirements.

March

The SCF conducted rehearsals for the first NATO Communications Satellite launched on 20 March and turned over

to Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe (SHAFE) on

19 May. Contracted to Philco-Ford, the spacecraft

weighed 535 pounds at liftoff; measured 54" x 61.8"

and had a design life of three years (essentially a

Skynet vehicle).

1 April Hq Air Force Western Test Range (AFTWR) was inactivated

with the Hq Space and Missile Test Center (SAMTEC) acti- vated at Vandenberg AFB and assigned to SAMSO. Other

actions brought all AFSC range and launch operations at

Vandenberg under a single command for the very first time.

11 April The SCF supported the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.

On its way to the moon, Apollo 13's command craft became

very cold after the explosion of an oxygen tank. The

mission was then aborted and the astronauts returned

safely.

22 April Support by the SCF to the Biosatellite program was

officially terminated.

19 May The AFSCF performed final acceptance of Bldg 1003, the

power plant, and power plant gas turbine generators

from the U.S. Navy.
81

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At the STA, the Collins Radio Company installed EXCELS

eq

uipment and an associated test bed for testing.

Interim operating capability was established for TACSAT

consisting of TACSAT I and LES-6. Testing had been so

successful that tri-service traffic was added for relay

through the system.

The AFSCF assumed nominal responsibility for the Camp

Parks facility at Pleasanton, California. Radiometric

tests were used for analysis of communications satel- lites. The primary user was an element of SAMSO.

Camp Parks had been operated by MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

Univac 1230 mTc systems were purchased for the remote

tracking stations in the AFSCF network for $13.8 million.

Installation and checkout of the ADS/SGLS was completed

at Mahe Island in the Seychelles, Indian Ocean.

Skynet B (second in the series) was launched from Cape

Canaveral. Contact was subsequently lost during the

firing of its apogee kick motor on 22 August and was

not regained.

The last of three new operational MCC's in Bldg 1003

was completed and accepted. Provision of these MCC's

was part of the "STC Wye" plan which also included a

reallocation of space in Bldg 1001 (original STC).

1 January

1271.

The Satellite Test Annex (STA) was redesignated as

Sunnyvale Air Force Station (SAFS). This was the

first official termination of the STA designation

although "STC" was commonly used for years. The

acronym STC continued as the distinction between

the op

erational nerve center of the AFSCF network

and the facility as a whole at Sunnyvale.

82

29 June

1 July

5 August

19 August

November

6 November

The AFSCF conducted its first meeting of the Space

Transportation System (STS) Working Group.

24 November

Headquarters AFSC announced that SAMSO proposed development of a navigation system employing several clusters

of satellites and ground stations. When developed, the

system would provide three-dimensional position and

velocity information to users worldwide.
83

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30 June

1 July

26 July

16 September

Apollo 14 was launched on the third successful U.S. lunar

landing mission.

D

evelopment plans were announced for the Wideband

Communications System using a satellite relay between

the STC and all remote tracking stations. The system

would eventually handle up to 1.5 megabits of data from

those stations to the STC. A prototype system using DCA

satcom terminals in Hawaii and Guam would be used to

communicate with the 60-foot dish at Camp Parks.

The second NATO comsat was launched and 

a sy positioned in nchronous orbit two days later.

A development concept paper from SAMSO for the military

comsat system was halted at Hq USAF after an a

greement was reached with the U.S. Navy that its 

proposed FLTSATCON system would be developed with channels set aside for 

Force use. Air

A 400-foot boresight tower was installed and became

op

erational at the Nea Hampshire Station replacing an

older system located on South Mountain.

Colonel John J. Schmitt, Jr., replaced Brig Gen Lewis S.

Norman, Jr., as AFSCF Commander.

All communications circuits were relocated from Bldg 1001

to Bldg 1003 thus permitting additional operator space,

improved facilities, better working conditions, and the

correction of some security difficulties.

The AFSCF received its second Air Force Outstanding Unit

Award for the period 1 January 1969 through 31 December 1970.

Rep

resentatives from the Software Development Facility

conducted a system demonstration of the mpaperless"

printer which displayed the output of data lines on a

digital television instead of a conventional line printer.

Apollo 15 was launched with the first lunar-roving vehicle.

The Vela Data Transmission Systems (VEDATS) became operational for sending real-time and playback Vela data from

the tracking stations through an STC bird buffer into the

VEDATS computer which sent it to either one or both of the

user agencies -- the Air Force Technical Applications

Center (AFTAC) or Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC).

31 January

1 February

2 February

15-20 Nay

1 June

2 June
85

27 September

8 October

2 November

.1 December

Acquisition of the Navy Fleet Satellite Communications (FLTSATCOM) system was approved for the Air

Force by Deputy Defense Secretary Packard. The

spaceborne segment of the global (less polar) UHF

comm system would be developed by SAMSO. Also

approved. was acquisition of UHF airborne and ground

terminals for Air Force use with FLTSATCOM and other

selected satellite systems. When finished, the

- latter program, AFSATCOM, would provide the AF with

a communications system for high priority requirements.

The Consolidated Open Mess facility at Sunnyvale AFS

was accepted by the Air Force after three months of

of construction work. The 4,000 square foot facility

had been prefabricated and included two rest rooms. Floor covering, painting, and interior furnishings

were not included.

The first pair of Defense Satellite Communications

Sys tmn (DSCS II) advanced comm satellites were

launched into orbit. Telemetry and command links

could. not be established until 5 November. The

satellites weighed.150 pounds and measured 9' by

13' with capabilities to handle voice, teletype,

computerized digital data, and video transmissions.

The DSCS satellites (TRW Systems Group), were

intended as replacements for the IDCSP system vehicles

and had a design life of five years.

The 46-foot antenna system at the New Hampshire

Station entered the AFSCF's inventory.

1972

January

All remote tracking stations except the Indian Ocean

Station and Vandenberg, along with the SCF, changed

clocks/timing from the former Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) rate with an offset for astronomical time.

A new UTC rate based on the International Atomic Time

Scale without offset for true astronomical time was

adopted. Leap seconds were introduced every six months

beginning 1 January to compensate for the drift rate

away from true astronomical time without impact to any

satellite operations.
86

Artist's rep

resentation of a typical Defense Satellite Communications System, Phase II (DSCS II) vehicle.
87

Subsequent to the p revious November launch of two

DSCS II satellites which had no command capability

for three days, the SCF initiated plans to estab

lish a Remote Vehicle Checkout Facility (RVCF) at

Cape Kennedy, Eastern Test Range, to allow verification of command and telemetry compatibility al2r.

to launches from that area. The New Hampshire

Station was selected as the interfacing SCF remote

tracking station. The RVCF would include both SGLS

and non-SGLS capabilities for vehicle checkout.

5 January

President Richard M. Nixon announced that NASA would

manage a $5.5 billion program to develop a space

shuttle as the workhorse of future U.S. space efforts

and as a rep

lacement for all existing launch vehicles

except the smallest and largest.

14 February

After eight years of work to obtain a raise in the

basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) at Sunnyvale

AFS, an increase for enlisted personnel was granted. The BAS rose from $1.46 per day to $2.57 per day.

29 February He 

S

adquarters USAF announced the closure of Grenier

AF, New Hampshire by September 1972. As a result,

the 6594th Instrumentation Squadron relocated to

New Hampshire Tracking Station, New Boston, 

Hampshire. New

14 April

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Vandenberg AFB were

announced by NASA as the operational bases for the Space T

ransportation System. Research and Development and civilian shuttle launches would be made

from the Cape. Military launches would occur from

Vandenberg. On 2 May, industry was asked by SAMSO

to submit p

roposals for development of the shuttle.

16 April

Apollo 16, the fifth lunar mission, successfully

landed on the moon.

26 May

Wernher von Braun, developer of the German V-2 and

director of the development of U.S. Saturn rockets

which overcame the Soviet's early lead in space and

put Americans on the moon, retired from NASA.

June

A contract was awarded to Lockheed for digital

television built by Ford Aerospace to be installed

in the STC for computer-controlled switching with

20 video channels from Bldg 1003 to Bldg 1001;

partial implementation of a keyboard/light pen entry

system; and direct conversion of bird buffer printer

data into video signals sent to switching s

for d

ystems istribution to operational areas.

January
30 June

July

17 July

26 July

5 August

Baselines for STS support by the AFSCF were announced

including flight planning and resource scheduling;

on-pad shuttle and payload checkout; TT&C for the

shuttle at altitudes above 400 nautical miles and

during contingency operations; an interface with the

shuttle crew during satellite retrieval and deployment; and the ability to support STS launches with as

little as two hours advance notice.

Command of Kodiak Naval Station, Alaska, transferred

from the U.S. Navy to U.S. Coast Guard. This action

resulted in the loss of aircraft shuttle services

from the Kodiak Tracking Station to Elmendorf AFB,

along with site security protection, office machine

repair services, and television reception.

A c

onsolidation of the Edwards AFB, AFSCF operating

location and the 6594th Test Group at Hickam AFB,

Hawaii, resulted in savings estimated at $400,000,

one C-130B aircraft, and five manning authorizations.

At the same time, the 6593rd Test Squadron (Special) was inactivated with its personnel and mission

becoming the Operations Division of the 6594th Test

Group at Hickam AFB. Also effective 1 July, the

6593rd I nstrumentation Squadron was reassigned from

the 6594th Test Group to Headquarters AFSCF.

Operating Location #9, Indian Ocean Station, Mahe

Island, Seychelles, was redesignated as Detachment 4,

AFSCF.

A $2.6 billion contract was awarded from NASA to the

North American Rockwell firm for development of the

national STS and Space Shuttle including the first

•

flight scheduled in 1976 and the first orbital mission

expected in 1979.

A data tape was successfully played through the Interim

Wideband Comm System from the Hawaii Tracking Station

to Camp Roberts for subsequent delivery to the user.

The Remote Vehicle Checkout Facility (RVCF), Cape

Canaveral, was declared operational.

The seventh CDC 3800 computer was added to the STC in

Bldg 1003, SAFS.

28 August

September
9 November

17 November

4 December

7 December

ANIK-I, a Canadian satellite (Telstar-A comsat),

was placed into orbit.

The first spacecraft telemetry was recorded on

analog tape at the RVCF and sent to New Hampshire

Tracking Station for processing with excellent

results.

The Wideband Data System per se was cancelled when

procurement of the system was directed to the

Defense Communications Agency (DCA) by higher

headquarters. Overall objectives remained the

same, and similar plans for a communications

upgrade were continued at the AFSCF.

The final U.S. moon mission, Apollo 17, was

launched.

89

1973

January-June Plans for a backup STC facility at the Computer

Program Development Center, Santa Monica, California.

were approved by SAMSO as an expansion of "Alternate

STC" capabilities implemented in September 1965.

Minimum modifications were required to provide a

capability to carry on limited operations for two

to three space programs. Only the New Hampshire

and Vandenberg Tracking Stations were linked to

the "BUSTC" with each having two data/voice lines.

10 January Collins Radio and RCA were awarded contracts for

development of the Air Force Satellite Communications

(AFSATCOM) system.

15 January The 6594th Support Group at SAFS was redesignated as

the 6594th . Air Base Squadron by Hq AFSC.

23 February A "Conceptual Approaches to Upgrading the Real-time

Data System Study" was published updating the previous

Wideband Data System plan. Included in the new plan

were provisions for replacing CDC 160-A bird buffer

computers and peripherals for the existing control and

display system; identification of a requirement for an

off-line telemetry processing system (TOPS) at the STC;

and numerous additional facility improvements.

The Air Force announced that a $27.6 million contract

had been awarded to Philco-Ford for development of

a NATO III satcom system with SAMSO providing DOD

program management.

5 March
90

Skylab, the first American orbiting laboratory, was

s

uccessfully launched. This event brought back

memories of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL)

program that was cancelled in mid-1969.

An Air Force Program Memorandum on DOD Space Shuttle

Utilization was completed which assumed that the DOD

would develop the shuttle's Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)

required for high energy missions until NASA's introduction of a "Space Tug" at a later date.

In order to comply with a limitation on official

telephones in various categories at Sunnyvale AFS,

378 lines were converted resulting in a total of 40

percent Class A and 60 percent Class C services.

A P

residential Memorandum imposed a seven percent

energy reduction in fuel oil consumption during FY 74

and Sunnyvale AFS a ppointed its first Energy Conser- vation Officer.

D

eactivation of the AFSCF's Operating Location #1 at

Edwards AFB, California, and its consolidation with

the 6594th Test Group at Hickam AFB became effective

officially. Plans had been a pproved one year ago.

The servicing Consolidated Base Personnel Office (CBPO)

for Sunnyvale AFS switched from Los Angeles AFS to

Travis AFB, California.

Precision Equipment Measurement Laboratory (PMEL)

support for the STC was changed from Hamilton AFB

to Travis AFB.

The first Installation Chaplain, Major (Chaplain)

Robert S. Egigian, was assigned to Sunnyvale AFS.

The Advanced Control Experiment 1 (ACE 1) vehicle

was launched from Vandenberg AFB to test development of a p

re-prototype maneuvering reentry vehicle as part

of the ABRES program.

The Sunnyvale AFS Field Training Detachment (FTD) was

deactivated.

Contingency use of the Santa Mbnica BUSTC facility was

authorized following completion of communications and

computer equipment testing during the previous month.

14 May

6 June

29 June

1 July

15 July

1 September

13 September

30 September

October

1 October
22 December

91

The AFSCF received its third Air Force Outstanding

Unit Award. The award covered the 

1971 to 30 June 1972. period from 1 July

H

eadquarters AFSC announced that both recovery ships,

(USNS Longview and USNS Sunnyvale), would be phased

out and replaced with HH-53 helicopters.

Two more DSCS II satellites were launched into

synchronous equatorial orbit.

Sunnyvale AFS was approved for siting a DCA Pacific Control Station (AN/MSC60) by Hq USAF. The site would be one of four similar installations procured by the U.S. Army-Satellite Communications Agency.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Clements authorized

the start of Phase I of the Global Positioning System (GPS) development program.

11 October

December

13 December

21 December

18 January

9 February

20 June

1974

Skynet IIA, contracted to Marconi. Space and Defense

Systems, Inc., was launched from the Eastern Test

Range. Unfortunately the payload was lost due to

a malfunction of the Thor Delta launch vehicle.

The satellite weighed 960 pounds at liftoff and

measured 75" x 82.3".

The Interim Wideband Communications System (IWBC) became op

erational from Hawaii to Guam to the STC

using a DSCS II satellite.

Westar-A was launched becoming the first NASA

U:S. commercial domestic satellite.

Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-F) was

launched and used by the Indian . Government to beam educational television programs to its people in order to reduce illiteracy. This was the first

satellite ever built in order to transmit signals

directly to individual television sets.

Fabrication of three Navigation Department Satellites

for the Global Positioning System program was awarded by contract to Rockwell In ternational at $42.9 million.

13 April .

30 May.
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Space Test Program (STP) Flight P73-3 was launched

with a Navy Navigation Technology Satellite (NTS-1)

payload successfully placed in orbit.

19 July

The first known aerial, recovery of a payload

launched by a sounding rocket was performed at the White Sands Missile Range.

31 July

Colonel Robert A. Van Arsdall assumed command of

the AFSCF replacing Col John J. Schmitt, Jr.

13, 14 August

The backup STC (BUSTC) at Santa Mbnica, California,

•

was successfully tested.

2 October

The USNS Lon view along with two borrowed SH-3A

Navy he icopters were released from surface 

recovery duty with the 6594th Test Group.

3 November

A satellite link was activated between Thule Tracking

Station and Point Reyes, California, 

de permitting the

activation of the Thule submarine cable facility

by February 1975.

15 November

At Sunnyvale AFS, the Class A telephone services

were •

upgraded to access Autovon circuits with a

direct dialing capability.

22 November

Skynet IIB was launched into an elliptical transfer

orbit. Two days later the apogee kick motor boosted

the vehicle into a near circular orbit and final

position in sy

nchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean.

2 December The USNS Sunnyvale together with five CH-38 helicopters were released from surface recovery duty with

the 6594th Test Group.

7 December

The first recovery (aerial) of a sounding rocket

payload over a broad ocean area was performed for a HAVE JEEP II program payload.

31 December

Operating Location AI was designated and organized

at Sunnyvale AFS reporting to Hq SAMSO in. Los Angeles.

23 JanUarY

1975

Headquarters USAF issued a Program Management Directive

(PMD) specifying that initial DOD shuttle mission operations would be planned and controlled by a 

p redominantly NASA team rather than DOD team. In addition, NASA

facilities would be used The directive also required

that action be taken to minimize the impact of DOD

communications security requirements for shuttle operations.

13 July
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In the first demonstration of the combined test, and evaluation of the development,

traffic AFSATCOM program, message was sent from an airborne AFSATCOM terminal

over Ohio to a ground terminal in 

New York.

Fairchild Space and El ectronics Company was awarded a.$4.5 million contract from SAMSO for 

of the GPS upper stage. development

Kodiak Tracking Station ceased 

deactivation f

operations pending ollowing a lengthy decision 

process. The station had serviced only low and medium altitude sa tellites. The closure was estimated

to save $5.5 million annually.

31 January

15 March

May

A contract was awarded for the Data Link Terminal (DLT).

15 June

1 July

15 July

18 September

30 September

December

The last Amertcan manned space mission for 

to come was c years onducted with an Apollo program launch carrying one of the original Mercury 

astronauts, Deke Slayton. This space mission ( Apollo-Soyuz linked up with a Soviet spaceship 

whereupon the

)

crews shared meals, 

and held a news 

conducted joint experiments, c

onference. Until the space shuttle,

this was the last manned U.S. space mission. 

During the interim, 19 Soviet missions would be recorded i

ncluding one which stayed in orbit for 185 days.

D

etachment 3, 1901st Communications Squadron 

was a (AFSC) ctivated at Sunnyvale AFS to o

Satcom Facility. perate the DCA

The Space and Missile Systems 

resp Orga nization's onsibility for the Vela program was ended.

Camp Parks Radiometric Test Facility was as Camp Parks Comm redesignated

unication Annex and AFSCF O

Location AB was activated to o perating

perate the facility.

A memorandum of agreement between SAMSO and the

Electronic Systems Division (ESD) became e ffective under which the former was given lead division

responsibility for AFSATCOM I, II, and III.

The Kodiak Tracking Station, Alaska, was o

inactivated. fficially

H

eadquarters USAF decided that the DOD would not

acquire its own Space Shuttle mission o

perations

system, but would rely on/use NASA's system instead.
96

The Block 5D satellite, an Integrated S

pacecraft System (ISS), was first launched in 1976 to support the Defense 

Satellite Program (DMSP). The 4000th Aerospace Meteorological

Group, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, Applications

provided all commend and control of the satellites which obtained p r rimary and special data as

equested by the primary user, Air Force Global Weather Central.
97

17 February Satellite support o perations by the STC began a

transition from CDC 160-A computers to Varian 73

models and remote tape drives. Interim operating

capability was achieved in May.

23-26 February A j

oint DOD/NASA study carried out on the consolidation of expendable launch vehicles during the transition to the Space Shuttle, recommended that the

Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) be used with the Titan III

launch system.

14 March

Space Test Program Flight P74-1 was launched with a

Lincoln Experimental Satellite pair (LES-8, LES-9),

as well as solar radiation satellites 11A and 11B.

22 April

The NATO IIIA satellite was launched. It weighed

1,532 pounds at liftoff and measured 86" x 121.7".

The satellite was under contract to Philco-Ford

with a design life of seven years. It became

operational on 26 July 1976.

21 May

Guam Tracking Station (GTS) was disabled by Typhoon

Pamela and would not be able to resume full operations

until the following August.

24 May

Headquarters AFSC directed SAMS° to plan for the

relocation of Headquarters AFSCF from Los Angeles

to Sunnyvale AFS.

The flag of the new Republic of Seychelles was raised

and the British Union Jack was lowered marking the

end of 160 years of British rule and the emergence

of the islands as an independent sovereign state.

Leaders of the two major island political parties

were appointed to Government of Seychelles posts.

James R. Mancham became President of the new

republic, and France Albert Rene was the new nation's

Prime Minister.

1 July

1 August

Colonel Ralph H. Jacobson assumed command of the AFSCF

replacing Col Robert A. Van Arsdall.

Modifications at RAF Oakhanger, a British tracking

station, were initiated to provide more support for

an anomalous Atlantic DSCS II satellite.

'29 June
98

11 September

17 September

21 October

22 October

11 November

7-9 December

The first Defense Meteorological Satellite Program

(DMSP) Block 5D satellite was launched. The vehicle

was built by the RCA Astro Electronics Division and

weighed a whopping 5,272 pounds at liftoff. When

deployed in space, the spacecraft measured 16' x 10'

and had a design life of 2.5 years.

Roll-out of the first space shuttle vehicle occurred.

The STC-to-Thule data link became operational.

Headquarters USAF approved the conversion of the

Vandenberg Tracking Station as the only blue-suit

station in the AFSCF network to a contractor-manned

facility.

The AFSCF received its fourth Air Force Outstanding

Unit Award. It covered the period 1 July 1974 through

30 June 1976.

In a briefing presented to Hq AFSC, Hq USAF, and the

Secretary of the Air Force, three alternative methods

for providing the DOD with a missions operations system

for the Space Shuttle were outlined. Those methods

included: (1) Modifying NASA Johnson Space Center

facilities; (2) Expanding the AFSCF; and, (3) Constructing an all-new DOD facility to be dubbed the STS

Operations and Planning Center (SOPC).

1977

14 January

17 January

27 January

February

The Vela program control center was relocated from

MCC-M to MCC-B. Its former space was occupied by

elements supporting the Global Positioning System.

Deputy Secretary of Defense approved initiation of

the General Purpose Satellite Communications System

Program and the Strategic Satellite System Program.

The NATO III-B communications satellite was launched

into orbit from Cape Canaveral.

A tracking system was installed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii,

which allowed Hickam to track DMSP satellites and

receive data directly from them. The system was

declared operational in June with Hickam operating

as a weather readout station in the DMSP system.
99

VI

O—•

•

Lai

O

Li

.J

O

Occ
100

February

24 March

6 April

Headquarters USAF approved the full-scale development

of a single channel transponder (SCT) for the AFSATCOM

program to be deployed on DSCS III satellites.

The first DMSP Block 5D vehicle which had gone into a

spin after being launched in September of 1976, was

successfully de-spun ending a five month effort during

which a three-phased recovery attempt occurred.

Funds were requested by SAMSO to convert Telemetry and

Command Station (TCS) Oakhanger in the United Kingdom

for AFSCF operations following negotiations with the

British. A total of $1.4 million was approved on 17

May by Headquarters USAF.

May

Representatives from NATO visited the United States

to gather information related to a proposed NATO IV

satellite communications system.

11 May The AFSCF sent its proposed plan for supporting Space

Shuttle Orbital Flight Tests (OFT) to NASA.

17-21 May Software m

odifications were installed in the Block 5D

DMSP satellite which permitted its attitude control

system to operate without the pitch and yaw gyros.

Together with an earlier modification allowing the

vehicle to function without its roll gyro, this second action prevented the s pacecraft fnmn being lost due

to overall gyro deterioration.

The second Block 50 satellite was launched from

Vandenberg AFB. A series of anomalies resulted in

the vehicle being placed in a retrograde orbit and

spinning condition.

Less than one year after celebrating its independence

from Great Britain, the Republic of Seychelles reported a bloodless coup. Militants presumably trained in Tanzania played an imp

ortant role in this "coup of the 60 rifles." P

resident Mancham, away in London at the time of the coup,

was deposed from office. France Albert Rene was asked to form a new g

overnment. He agreed after receiving assurances that the rights and property of existing government officials would be respected, that elections would be held,

and that all present international agreements would be

honored. Both Rene and Mancham had been the leaders of

opposing major p

the mid-60's. olitical parties in the Seychelles since

4 June

5 June
September At the.STC, the CUBE reached interim operating capability.

A 1230 mTc system was acquired for the STC ground station

where it was installed with an emulator buffer computer

to accept and process PCM data from Vandenberg via microwave, HTS via interim wideband comm circuits, and from

NHS via data link circuits. The new station's voice

designator was "CUBE," and the Command Data Processing

Area was established in two rooms within Bldg 1003.

101

17 June The AFSCF achieved a "first" when it tracked and

recorded telemetry from a spinning reentry vehicle

during a Minuteman III missile test flight. This

event proved that a post-boost telemetry link could be

deleted from the missile at a considerable savings.

23 June Rockwell I nternational's GPS Navigation Technology

Satellite #2, the first designed for GPS operations,

received launch and early orbit support from the AFSCF.

This vehicle had a design life six years mean duration.

It weighed 950 pounds and measured 6' x 6' in its

launch configuration.

25 June The AFSCF completed recovery efforts to restore

operating capabilities with the second DMSP Block 50

satellite.

July A joint DOD/NASA committee was formed to find an

economical method of securing NASA's Johnson Space

Center for use.as mission control when classified

DOD missions were flown on the Space Shuttle. The

final committee report issued in November 1977

recommended that JSC be secured through what was

termed a "controlled mode" of operation.

The headquarters function of the AFSCF was reorganized

and physically relocated from Los Angeles to Sunnyvale.

Detachment 1 of the AFSCF at Sunnyvale AFS was

inactivated.

A recommendation was made by the AFSCF to construct

the proposed Shuttle Operations and Planning Center

(SOPC) at Sunnyvale AFS.

The Space Shuttle orbiter made its first free flight

after being carried aloft by a modified Boeing 747

aircraft. The orbiter then landed at Edwards AFB

following its release from the host aircraft. Testing

in this manner was continued through October.

1 July

20 July

12 August
102

Vandenberg Tracking Station, HIS, and GTS were modified

to relay unprocessed telemetry to the STC or another

SCF network station via satellite.

6 September

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) opened

a small exchange facility at Sunnyvale AFS following

construction which began on 28. March 1977. This was

the first exchange facility housed separately from

Bldg 1001.

8 September

A new AAFES food service outlet was opened in the SAFS

Consolidated Open Mess. Construction had begun on 15 February 1977.

14 September

TCS Oakhanger began supporting a DSCS II satellite

thus initiating a three-phased project designed to

integrate that station into the SCF global network.

October Global P

ositioning System (GPS) monitor stations were

developed in Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska, to complete the

deployment phase of the Phase I GPS Control Segment.

13-16 October

Both the New Hampshire Station and Indian Ocean Station

were modified to relay raw telemetry to the STC or to

other SCF network stations.

December

An unofficial study at the SCF was concluded regarding

the term "Satellite test Center (STC)," after it was

recognized that the term had no official standing and

could be confused with the actual designation "AFSCF." The only time when STC was a correct designation was

from December 1959 until July 1960 when facilities at

Sunnyvale were redesignated as the "Satellite Test Annex."

From the earliest period of satellite activities at

Sunnyvale, "STC" had been an o perational designation used by .

mission directors. That term gained in popularity and achieved a quasi-official status, a ppearing in many formal publications. The fact that large,

three-foot chrome letters spelled out "U.S. Air Force

Satellite Test Center" across the front of the main

SAFS entrance from 1969 to 1977, greatly reinforced

use of the term. Those letters were removed to reduce

visibility of the station. Today, "MT" is a current

term used primarily to distinguish between SAFS and the op

erational control center for the AFSCF. In spite

of that clarification, it is not uncommon for those

having a long association with the facility to refer

to it as the "STC."

2-8 September
Artist's rep

resentation of a "Navigation System Based on

Time and Ranging (NavStar)" Global Positioning System (GPS)

satellite. A series of these vehicles deployed at altitudes

over 11,000 nautical miles above the earth would ultimately

provide a ten-fold increase in U.S. navigational capability

and increase the e

ffectiveness of strategic forces worldwide.

Properly equipped users will be able to obtain accurate time,

three dimensional p

osition, and velocity information anywhere in the world. The AFSCF currently provides all GPS telemetry, tracking, and commanding.
104

3 January

9 February

The first Fleet Satellite Communications (

satellite was launched and FLTSATCOM)

p

became ositioned on-orbit. It operational on 4 April 1978.

15 February

TCS Oakhanger in the United Kingdom was added to the

worldwide AFSCF network as a shared resource and

designated as AFSCF Operating Location (OL) AE.

The first NavStar GPS satellite was successfully

launched into orbit with AFSCF 

was then declared support. NavStar 1

operational on 31 March as the first, vehicle in a constellation of satellites

planned for the GPS Program.

A two-month delay in testing the second 

satellite r

FLTSATCOM

esulted due to daamges caused by a fire

in the FLTSATCOM assembly area of the TRW Systems

Group facility in Redondo Beach, California.

A contract for full-scale development of the Space

Shuttle's Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) was distributed

to Boeing Aerospace Company.

The AFSATCOM space segment was declared operational.

Special testing was performed by the AFSCF during

efforts to keep the third DMSP Block 5D satellite

operational in spite of numerous problems which developed shortly after orbit injection and for several months thereafter.

With USAF a pproval to conduct site surveys for a "Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC),"

(formerly known as "STC-II"), the AFSCF 

surveys of five performed

p

otential locations and established mandatory siting criteria.

The second NavStar/GPS satellite achieved 

operational status following its 13 May launch.

Program "S" was established by the AFSCF as the Shuttle Operations Office in p

reparation for NASA shuttle orbital

flight testing and related activities.

22 February

9 April

14 April

15 April

30 April

1-12 May

27 June

18 June

12ZA.

Lockheed was awarded a $34 million contract to build

a spacecraft for the S

atellite Infrared Experiment (SIRE)

designed to measure long wave infrared signatures of

space objects against a smaller background.
105

6 October The third NavStar/GPS satellite was 

and p

s uccessfully launched ositioned in orbit.

Following equipment modification, installation, and checkout, the first bent-pipe telemetry relay occurred

from TCS Oakhanger. The first bent-pipe command relay

came shortly thereafter on 4 November.

Additional site surveys for the CSOC were directed by

Headquarters USAF. The surveys were to include four

more potential sites.

The third NATO III spacecraft (NATO III-C) was launched and positioned in orbit.

The fourth NavStar/GPS satellite was launched.

Two DSCS II satellites were launched and declared

op

erational in the following month. At that point,

the DSCS II system consisted of a full, four-satellite

constellation at the disposal of users for the first time in that program's history.

29 October

31 October

18 November

11 December

1. 3 December

1 January

2 January

1979

Vela surveillance satellite support requirements for

the DMSP and Air Force Global Weather Central were

terminated resulting in a slight decrease in actual AFSCF support requirements for that program..

Stanford Telecommunications I ncorporated was awarded

a contract to examine the utility of a "Satellite Control

and Data Relay System" using a s pace-based network to

track and control satellites and relay data to ground

stations in the continental United States.

M

odifications of the AFSCF's Indian Ocean Station were

completed to support Space Shuttle orbital flight testing.

The DSCS/SCF Interface System (DSIS), a major advance in data transmission capabilities, was declared operational at NHS after necessary modifications, 

and testing. The installation, DSIS was part of the wideband comm system in early 1975, and it now provides a duplex multichannel digital data link to all SCF tracking stations.

3 January

1 February
106

1 March

1 April

26 April

4 July

11 July

15 August

27 September

1 October

Colonel Joe E. Sanders assumed command of the AFSCF

replacing Colonel Ralph H. Jacobson.

Vandenberg Tracking Station converted from an Air Force "blue-suit" o peration to a contractor o

Aerospace and Communications peration by Ford Co rporation. The action ended an effort under continuous review since 1974.

The SIRE contract between Lockheed and SAMSO was

terminated due to large cost overruns and SAMSO

began development of a p

on rogram to fly the SIRE sensor 4 Space Shuttle sortie mission in the mid-1980's.

Inspector General (IG) team members from

AFSC an inspection of the AFSCF concluded on 15 June. began

The fourth DMSP Block 5D-1 series vehicle was successfully launched.

At Hq AFSCF, the Advanced Systems Development Program Office ( BJ) was formed i

p ncorporating some functions

reviously assigned to the Director of 

Planning (DV). Development and

Remarks by Sey

chelles President Rene during a Fourth of

July, American Embassy observance, created concern 

the future status of over an agreement between the U.S. and Government of Seychelles for operation of the AFSCF's Indian Ocean Station (I0S).

Skylab p

lummeted back to Earth six years after reaching

orbit. Questions posed as to where the large object

might land were answered when Skylab broke into molten

debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.

Support of the Initial Defense Communications. Satellite

Program (IDCSP), or first phase of the DSCS 

was concluded program, by the AFSCF. The IDCSP was originally

known as the "Initial Defense Satellite 

System (IDSCS)." Communication

General Lew Allen, Jr., Air Force Chief of Staff, approved

a proposed construction project to provide 100 family housing units dedicated for. Air Force personnel at nearby Moffett Naval Air Station.

Several organizational changes occurred within the AFSCF,

including formation of a Directorate of Logistics. Most

remote tracking stations dropped "instrumentation s d quadron" esignations and became numbered AFSCF detachments. In

addition, the AFSCF's parent command, Space and Missile

Systems. Organization (SAMSO), was redesignated as the Space Division (SD).

21 May

6 June

1 July
107

8 January

15 May

17 June

1 July

2 September

9 September

The first truly centralized word processing center

within the Air Force Systems Command was officially declared operational at Headquarters AFSCF.

The AFSCF sup

ported the successful launch and early orbit op

erations of the fifth NavStar/GPS satellite.

The AFSCF began the first round of 

negotiations concerning renewal of the lease pertaining to its

Indian Ocean Station at the request of the

Government of Seychelles (GOS). The initial GOS

annual rental figure of $10 million and other "exhorbitant" lease terms requested during the

session were taken under advisement.

Launch and early orbit o perations of the sixth

NavStar/GPS satellite received AFSCF support.

Ford , Aerospace and Communications Corporation

received a contract to design and construct an

engineering prototype survivable transportable

tracking station. This "Ground Station Link

Survivability" contract called for development

of a stand-alone ground station during 1984.

The first Network I nterface Data System (NIDS)

unit, a modified Varian 75 emulator buffer

computer, was declared operational at Hq AFSCF.

After 102 consecutive months with a major accident

flying safety record, the 6594th. Test Group

exp

erienced a Class A mishap with a HH-53C helicopter.

Interim o perating ca pability was achieved with the opening of the AFSCF's Operations Center. This

function was a rough equivalent to a normal Air

Force command post.

A two-volume CSOC system specification was published outlining the CSOC's mission, organizational arrangement, and basic operating parameters.

The AFSCF supported the launch of the NASA

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) used for weather data gathering purposes.

9 February

27 March

26 April

I May
108

1 October

31 October

22 December

8 January

10 March

26 March

12 April

For the first time ever, a fully staffed and 

full service A virtually ccounting and Finance Office was at Sunnyvale AFS. The opened

limited to one manning 

function had been previously authorization with finance records and cash payments available at Travis AFB

about 80 miles away from Sunnyvale.

The F

LTSATCOM minimum on-orbit group was com

pleted with the successful launch of the fourth vehicle in

that series. The AFSCF es tablished a command capability and moved the vehicle to its circular orbit.

The I

BM/Federal Systems Division was selected as the

contractor for the initial phase of the Data S Mod ystems ernization (DSM) program at $92 million. With all

options exercised, the potential value of that contract

would rise to $248.4 million. The new data system

offered by the DSM would provide centralized command

and control of the entire AFSCF network and yield more

efficient utilization of existing resources. The DSM

was vital in order to provide greater support

to meet a rising demand for sce support and reduce life capabilities

cycle costs by reducing equipment and op pporerating personnel.

1981

The firm of King and Reif was awarded an 

and design contract for a high architecture

s priority, Program 106, atellite system, military c p onstruction program (MCP roject at Sunnyvale AFS. )

Sunnyvale AFS completed its transition from a 

area to r controlled estricted area thus increasing security for

those areas having resources considered vital to the war-making capability of the United States.

The AFSCF received its fifth Air Force Outstanding 

Unit Award. It was awarded for the period 1 January 1977

through 19 January 1981.

Astronauts John W. 

on the first Young and Robert Crippen were launched

spaceflight of the Space Shuttle. The AFSCF

supported the mission which concluded on 14 April 

with return of the orbiter vehicle "Columbia" to Edwards 

AFB. Five AFSCF mission controllers received the Air Force Co

mmendation Medal for their crucial support during shuttle mission. the
109
110

19 June

6 August

12 November

25 November

The United States and Government of Seychelles concluded nearly two years of intensive 

and co

negotiations, proposals,

unter-proposals concerning a revised lease agreement for the Indian Ocean Station. Upon signing the new

ag

reement, the AFSCF and the United States avoided a

p

ossible forced move of the tracking station from the

Seychelles and thus preserved a valuable network resource.

The last of the current FLTSATCOM series of satellites

was launched. The AFSCF supported the launch, performed on-orbit testing, and positioned the vehicle.

"STS-2," the second spaceflight of the shuttle "Columbia"

was launched and received SCF support throughout the mission.

A force of 43 mercenaries led by Col "Mad Mike" Hoare, attempted

a coup on the island of Mahe in the Seychelles. The Government

of Seychelles (GOS) imposed a curfew through 2 December. The

Indian Ocean Station secured its technical site and continued

normal operations although available manpower re

40 p

presented just ercent of the total authorized strength.

1982

1 January

12 February

22-30 March

31 March

21 April

1 June

Construction of 100 military family housing units for Air Force

personnel from Sunnyvale AFS began at NAS Moffett Field.

Dickman Brothers Inc., received a construction contract for a

new satellite program support structure in front of Sunnyvale's

main station entrance. The first two floors were to consist of

covered parking and a third floor would be assigned as operations

space. This was the first major building addition to SAFS since

1969. Ground-breaking occurred on 1 March 1982.

STS-3 received AFSCF support with the Indian Ocean Station using

the bent pipe mode for the first time to support the Shuttle.

Colonel Floyd R. Stuart assumed command of the AFSCF replacing

Col Joe E. Sanders who retired from active duty.

The 6594th Test Group received the Calendar Year 1981 USAF Flight

Safety Award.

Full operational, bent pipe capability was achieved at ICG after

removal of the 1230 mTc computer. The computer was installed at

Sunnyvale AFS as Command Data Processing Area (CUBE) II.
20 December

12 November

11 November

30 October

30 September Systems Command and SPACECOM signed an agreement defining their roles in design, construction, management, 

lation, and checkout of e procurement, instal q

uipment and facilities at Falcon AFS

Colorado, along with support incident to activating the Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC).

The firstiltan 340/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) combination

launch was supported by the AFSCF. The launch also placed the

first DSCS III satellite on orbit. Although IUS transmitter

signals were lost soon after launch, the control team turned

to a DSCS II downlink which permitted tracking of the configura

tion before achieving orbit. Primary attitude control 

system failure required the mission control team to switch to a

redundant ACS. Those problems were resolved and operability of the DSCS III satellite was maintained.

The AFSCF supported STS-5 through 16 November with 

on-orbit support through the Indian Ocean Station. Landing support was p

rovided by sending data from Western Test Range tracking

stations to NASA via a Vandenberg Tracking Station microwave

link. During the STS-5 mission, the first satellite was

deployed from a shuttle orbiter using a Payload Assist Module.

An 18-day i ns p

ection of the AFSCF at Sunnyvale and the 6594th

Test Group in Hawaii was concluded by the AF Systems Command

Inspector General (IG) with excellent results.

The AFSCF sup

ported the first Block 5D-2 satellite launch in the Defense M

eteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The new

series of satellites featured increased memory capacity of from

16,000 to 28,000 words, two batteries versus a single 5D-1

battery, and an improved sensor with redundant electronics.

1 September Space Command (SPACECOM) was established as a new USAF Major Command thus consolidating many operational space activities.

Headquarters SPACECOM was activated at Colorado Springs.

4 July

17 August

110.1

The AFSCF concluded its support of STS-4, last orbital flight

test mission for the Space Shuttle. This mission, 

on 27 June, carried the first De launched

partment of Defense payload. military

Rebel Sey

And chelles Army soldiers mutinied against senior officers

seized control of the Government of Se

ychelles Radio Station. Threats were made to kill up to 200 hostages unless abuses 

by those officers ceased. Soldiers swore allegiance to 

President Rene. A curfew was imposed through 20 August when loyal soldiers

freed a number of hostages nearer 20, and regained control of the radio station.
110.2

19 January

4-9 April

1 June

1983

A 

ribbon cutting ceremony was held at HAS Moffett Field as the first Air Force families moved into new military family housing. The r

emaining 80 units would be occupied on a phased basis when completed.

Construction on an unaccompanied enlisted personnel facility p

roject began at HAS Moffett Field.

The 6594th Test Group flew two HH-53 and four C-730 sorties to evacuate a seaman with a f Orleans ractured skull from the USS New

to Honolulu, Hawaii. Crews received credit fai77 ffiive n

while-Oerforming the longest 

operation Air Force open-water rescue (750 miles) in history.

The AFSCF supported the sixth Space Shuttle flight (STS-6), and first for the Orbiter nChallenger," carrying the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into space.

first

Ground-breaking occurred for the Data Systems 

MIdernization (DSM) s tructure at Sunnyvale AFS.

1 February

3 February
111
Appendix No. 1

6594th Test Wing and AFSCF Commanders

112

6594th Test Win

Col Charles G. Mathison

Col Alvan N. Moore (Test Wing Satellite)

Col William K. Kincaid (Aerospace Test Wing)

6 Apr 59 20 Aug 60

21 Aug 60 - 30 Aug 62

31 Aug 62 - 30 Jun 65

Air Force Satellite Control Facilit

Col Walter H. Hedrick, Jr.

Col William G. King, Jr.

8/Gen Jessup D. Lowe

B/Gen Lewis S. Norman, Jr.

Col John J. Schmitt, Jr.

Col Robert A. Van Arsdall

Col Ralph H. Jacobson

Col Joe E. Sanders

Col Floyd R. Stuart

1 Jul 65 - 31 Aug 66

1 Sep 66 7 30 Jul 67

31 Jul 67 - 28 Jul 69

29 Jul 69 - 31 May 71

1 Jun 71 - 31 Jul 74

31 Jul 74 - 30 Jun 76

1 Jul 76 - 1 Mar 79

1 Mar 79 - 31 Mar 82

31 Mar 82 -
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Appendix No. 3

ITS

EXPLORER j1=

Diameter: 28"

Height: 14"

1963

114
Z -DETEC TOR

(2)

4 STUB ARRAY

ANTENNA (2)

(DEPLOYED) SOLID ROCKET

MOTOR

SOLAR PANEL (18)

X-RAY DETECTOR (10)

CENTRAL

CY LINDER

STRUCTURE

EQUIPMENT

SHELF

Y-DETECTOR (6)

115

ADAPTER TO SPIN-UP

INTERSTACE

VELA I (Illustrated)

First Launch: 16 Oct 1963

Characteristics:

Width 58"

Height 45*

Weight (Liftoff) 498 lbs

Power (BOL) 99 watts

Design Life 6 months

(Vela Nuclear Detection Program Satellite)
COMMUNICATIONS

SOLAR ANTENNA

PANELS

(24)

116

SPIN

NOZZLE

EQUIPMENT

MOUNTING

PANELS

TELEMETRY

ANTENNA

N2

 SPIN-UP TANK

ni .1 Defense Communications Satelliti-Pro ram (IDCSP1

firsILagnah: 16 Jun 1966

Chmagrilligi: Diameter 36U

Height 32"

Weight 100 lbs

Power (BOL) 40 watt

Design Life 1.5 years
117

S-BAND OMNI

ANTENNA (TT&C)

NU TA TION

DAMPER

DES P/N a EAR INC

AND POWER

TRANSFER' ASSY

THERMAL SHIELD

DESPUN

EQUIPMENT SHELF

SPINNING CONE

AND

BEARING SUPPORT

STRUCTURE

SUN SENSOR

MECHANICALLY DES PUN

ANTENNA

UHF ANTENNA ( 5)

SHF

ANTENNA (2)

SOLAR

PANELS

EARTH

.SENSORS (2)

REACTION

CONTROL

JETS

RADIAL (2)

AXIAL (2)

umnak: 9 Feb 1969 nuaglimiltigl: Diameter 9'

Height (Cyl) 11'

Ht. Overall 25'

Weight 1600 lbs

Power (BOL) 980 watts

Design Life 5 years
THERMAL

BLANKETS

SUN SENSORS

(2)

CENTRAL

CYLINDER

AXIAL JETS

TRUSS • HYDRAZINE STRUCTURE TANKS •

(2)

RADIAL

JETS

SOLAR

PANELS

(8)

UHF

ANTENNA

EARTH

SENSOR

BATTERIES (2)

EQUIPMENT MOUNTING

PANELS (8)

118

X-BAND ANTENNA

MECHANICALLY DESPUN

SOLID ROCKET

MOTOR

SKYNET/NATO II Communications Satellite

Launch: Skynet 1A, 21 Nov 1969 Characteristics: Diameter NATO IIA, 20 Mar 1970 Ht.(Overall

Wt. (Liftoff

Power (BOL)

Design Life

54"

61.8"

535 lbs

113 watts

3 years
DEPLOYABLE

NARROW BEAM MASS

ANTENNA

EARTH

COVERAGE

ANTENNA

SPIN

THR USTERS

(2)

PROPULSION '

TANK (4).

DESPUN

PLATFOR M

SOLAR

ARRAY

S•BAND

ANTENNA (TT&C)

119

MECHANICALLY DESPUN

ANTENNAS AND EQUIPMENT

PLATFORM

SOLID

SPIN ROCKET (2)

Defense Satellite Communications S stem •.

DSCS II

Lthstlawach: 2 Nov 71

Characteristics: Diameter

Ht. (Overall)

Wt. (Liftoff)

Power (BOL)

Design Life

9'

13'

1150 lbs

535 watts

5 years
FORWARD

THERMAL SHIELD EQUIPMENT

PLATFORM

EARTH •

SENSORS

(4)

RADIAL

JETS

•(2)

S-BAND

ANTENNA

X-BAND ANTENNA

MECHANICALLY DESPUN

120

MOTOR DRIVE

ASSEMBLY

SOLAR

PANELS (6)

SUN SENSORS (2)

HYDRAZINE

TANKS (4) AXIAL

JETS

(2)

AFT HEAT SHIELD

SOLID ROCKET MOTOR

Skynet II Connunications Satellite 

First Launch: 18 Jan 1974

756

82.3"

960 lbs

260 watts

5 years

ChAraatexistics: Diameter.

Ht.(Overall

Wt.(Liftoff

Power(BOL)

Design Life
RECEIVE

ANTENNA -BAND

ANTENNA

(TT&C)

HYDRAZ INE

TANK (3) SOLID

ROCKET

MOTOR

RADIAL

THRUSTERS (2) AXIAL

THRUSTERS (2)

TRANSMIT

ANTENNA

(ATLANTIC)

DESPIN MOTOR

ASSEMBLY

3 CHANNEL

ROTARY JOINT

MECHANICALLY Art151 1 ANTENNAS,

TRANSMIT

ANTENNA

(EUROPE)

EAR TH

SENSORS

(2) THREE DEG.

(2) FIVE DEG.

121

aLl iman Sate1 1

Lama: 22 Apr 1976 ChArACIttlIiia: Diameter

Ht.(Overall)

ilt.(Liftoff)

Power (BOL)

Design Life

86"

121.7"

1532 lbs

533 watts

7 years
Fleet Satellite Communications (FLTSATCOM) Satellite 

Solar Array Panels

(deployed)

Transmit Antenna

UHF Receive Antenna

First 9 Feb 1978

Characteristics; Diameter 16'

Ht.(Overall) 21.6'

Width(Deployed) 43.4'

Wt.(Liftoff) 4100 lbs (nominal)

Power(BOL) 1574 watts

122
C

0

sr•

C

0

123

iJ

VI

C

C

0

T

7: .00

E.
It Col Teuvo Ahola

Lt Col Donald L. Werbeck

Col William R. Morton

Col Erwin A. Meyer, Jr.

Col Richard C. Hall

Col William M. Quinn

Col Thomas M. Sumner

Col Robert E. Ross

Col Alfred H. Davidson, III.

Col Charles R. Dunn

Nov 59 - 21 Jun 62

22 Jun 62 - 26 Jun 62

27 Jun 62 - 10 Jun 65

23 Jun 65 - 13 Aug 68

14 Aug 68 - 4 Jun 71

5 Jun 71 - 6 Jul 72

7 Jul 72 - 15 Jan 76

16 Jan 76 - 28 Jul 78

28 Jul 78 - 23 Jun 81

23 Jun 81 -

Appendix No. 4

LINEAGE OF AFSCF SUBORDINATE UNITS 

6594th Test Group 

124

6594th Recovery Control

Group (RCGp) designated

and organized at Hickam

AFB, Territory of Hawaii,

ans assigned to 6594th

Test Wing, Palo Alto,

CA., eff 1 Nov 59

6594th RCGp redesignated

as 6594th Test Group with

no change in station or

assignment, eff 10 Mar 66.

ARDC GO 224,

27 Oct 59

AFSC SO G-13,

1 Mar 66

fammisziers.
Now 125

DETACHMENT 1

6596th Instrumentation

Squadron designated and

organized at Vandenberg

AFB, CA., assigned to

6594th Test Wing, Palo

Alto, CA., eff 1 Jul 59

Redesignated as

Detachment 1, Air Force

Satellite Control

Facility (AFSCF), with

no change in station or

assignment, eff 1 Oct 79.

ARDC GO 54,

17 Jun 59

Secretary of the

Air Force announcement, Sep 79

Capt Edwin G. Josey

Lt Col Carleton H. Jones 1 Aug 59 - 12 Jan 60

Col Lucius A: Perry, Jr. 13 Jan 60 - 10 Jul 60

It Col Carleton H. Jones 11 Jul 60 - 31 Oct 61

Col Vincent G. Feeney 1 Nov 61 - 5 Dec 62

Col Clifton L. Butler, Jr. 7 Dec 62 - 7 Mar 63

Col Vincent G. Feeney 8 Mar 63 - 25 Aug 63

Col Clifton L. Butler, Jr. 26 Aug 63 - 30 Oct 63

Col Vincent G. Feeney 31 Oct 63 - 2 Jun 64

Col Jerry Flicek 3 Jun 64 - 13 Oct 64

Col Gail S. Halvorsen 14 Oct 64 - 6 Jun 68

Col Charles W. Fellows, Jr. 7 Jun 68 - 1 Mar 70

Col Gordon E. Burrell 2 Mar 70 - 9 Jun 71

Lt Col Alex A. Pestrichella 74 10 Jun 71 - 29 Jan

It Col Roger C. Horrigan 30 Jan 74 - 26 Jun 75

Col Victor J. Bouquet, Jr. 27 Jun 75 - 28 Jun 78

It Col Richard C. Walsh 28 Jun 78 - 12 May 81

1 Jun 81 -
Col Glenn B. Daughton

Col Benjamin F. Smotherman

It Col James N. McGahee

It Col George W. Kreamer

Maj John C. Noway

Lt Col Philip J. Conran

It Col Douglas L. Smith

Lt Col Boyd F. Etheredge

1 Oct 59 - 31 Aug 64

1 Sep 64 - 24 Sep 67

25 Sep 67 - 29 Sep 68

30 Sep 68 - 13 Feb 72

14 Feb 72 - 23 Jul 74

24 Jul 74 - 28 Jul 77

28 Jul 77 - 11 Aug 80

11 Aug 80 -

DETACHMENT 2 

126

6594th Instrumentation

Squadron designated and

organized at Grenier

Field, Manchester Municipal

Airport, New Hampshire,

and assigned to 6594th Test

Wing, Palo Alto, CA., eff

1 Oct 59

Redesignated as Detachment 2,

Air Force Satellite Control

Facility, eff 1 Oct 79 with

no change in station or

assignment.

ARDC GO 85,

17 Aug 59;

ARDC GO 213,

14 Oct 59

Secretary of the

Air Force announcement, Sep 79;

AFSC SO G-145,

18 Sep 79
DETACHMENT 3

127

Operating Location 5,

6594th. Test Wing

(Satellite), designated

at Thule, Greenland,

eff 15 Oct 61.

Redesignated from OL-5

to Operating Location AA

with no change in station

or assignment, eff Jan-Apr

74.

Redesignated from OL-AA

to Detachment 3, Air Force

Satellite Control Facility,

with no change in station

or assignment, eff 1 Oct

79.

AFSC DCAS SO G-70,

11 Oct 61

Hist Rept, OL-5,

15 Jul 74

Secretary of the Air

Force announcement,

Sep 79;

AFSC SO G-145,

18 Sep 79

Maj Odie E. Lawrence

Maj Frank J. Rostkowski

Maj James B. Reed

Maj John C, Orliski

Maj Walter O. Owings

1/Lt Edward J. Pabich

Maj Charles M. Schultz

1/Lt Joseph B. Kupec

Maj Lester Glew

Maj Donald A. Thompson

Maj Donald C. Hansen

Maj Henry M. Butler

Lt Col William J. Wilson

Lt Col James C. Collier, Jr.

It Col Thomas W. Moore, Jr.

Lt Col Durward Brandon

MO Norman J. Grove

MO Charles H. Stump

Maj Louis J. Adams

Maj Richard E. Bowen

Maj R.H. Smith

Maj James L. Grogan, III.

Maj Denis L. O'Connor

Maj Leslie G. Delong

Maj Robert W. Tribit

15 Oct 61 - 18 Oct 62

19 Oct 62 - 15 Jul 63

16 Jul 63 - 29 Jun 64

30 Jun 64 - 16 Jun 65

17 Jun 65 - 31 Dec 65

1 Jan 66 - 24 Mar 66

25 Mar 66 - 27 Mar 67

8 Mar 67 - 3 Apr 67

4 Apr 67 - 23 Apr 68

24 Apr 68 - 6 Apr 69

7 Apr 69 - 31 Mar 70

1 Apr 70 - 2 Mar 71

2 Mar 71 - 11 Feb 72

12 Feb 72 - 14 Jan 73

15 Jan 73 - 6 Jan 74

7 Jan 74 - 17 Jan 75

.6 Jan 75 - 11 Jan 76

12 Jan 76 - 20 Jan 77

21 Jan 77 - 3 Jan 78

3 Jan 78 - 5 Jan 79

5 Jan 79 - 5 Feb 79

6 Feb 79 - 12 Feb 80

12 Feb 80 - 14 Feb 81

14 Feb 81 - 15 Feb 82

15 Feb 82 -
9 Sep 63 - 4 May 65

5 May 65 - 12..Jul 65

12 Jul 65 - 30 Jun 68

1 Jul 68 - 5 Jun 70

25 Jun 70 - 14 Jun 72

15 Jun 72 - 29 Mkty 74

30 May 74 - 30 Jun 76

1 Jul 76 12 Sep. 77

12 Sep 77 - 28 Jun 78

28 Jun 78 - 11 Jun 79

14 Jun 79 - 15 Jun 80

15 Jun 80 - 20 Jun 81

20 Jun 81 - 30 Jun 82

30 Jun 82 -

DETACHMENT 4

128

Operating Location 9,

6594th Test Wing

(Satellite), designated

at Mahe Island, Seychelles,

Jan-Jun 63.

Redesignated from OL-9

to Detachment 4, Air.

Force Satellite Control

Facility with no change

in station or assignment,

eff 17 Jul 72.

Hist Rept, 6594th

Test Wing (Satellite),

31 Jul 63

Hist Rept, AFSCF/CCE,

Jul 72

nd rs

Maj Norman H. Beaulieu

1/Lt James E. Harper

Maj Donald E. Jensen

Maj Martin F. Minion

Lt Col John G. Nash

MO Carroll R. Michaud

It Col Larry D. Fitzgerald

It Col Robert B. Beveridge

Maj Leroy C. Young

It Col Joe M. Leeper

Lt Col George W. Buchanan

It Col Peter F. Peterson

Lt Col James B. Church, Jr.

Maj G. Middleton
DETACHMENT 5 

129

Operating Location 10,

site selection 27 Apr 65

and Host-Tenant Agreement

between 6594th Aerospace

Test Wing/3960th Support

Wing (SAC), Andersen AFB,

Guam, concluded for Mobile

Tracking Station at Northwest Field, Guam, eff

21 May 65.

Redesignated from OL-10

to Operating Location OL-AD,

Air Force Satellite Control

Facility, eff Jan-Apr 74.

Redesignated from OL-AD

to Detachment 5, AFSCF,

with no change in station

or assignment, eff ''1 Oct 79.

Hist Rept, AFSCF/OL-10,

31 Jan 66

Hist Rept, AFSCF/CCE,

Jul 74

Secretary of the Air

Force announcement,

Sep 79;

AFSC SO G-145,

18 Sep 79

Commanders

Maj Steven E. Hill

Maj Donald B. Scott

Maj Richar4 W. Pryor

Lt Col Thomas E. Timothy

Maj Joe M. Leeper

Maj Leroy C. Young

Maj Bedford D. Blevins

Maj Thomas R. Tate, III.

Maj M. Harvey

1 Jan 66 - 13 Jan 67

14 Jun 67 - 6 Jun 69 •

7 Jun 69 - 16 May 71

17 May 71 - 5 Jun 73

6 Jun 73 - 11 Apr 76

12 Apr 76 - 4 Jul 77

5 Jul 77 - 9 Jul 80

9 Jul 80 - 1 Jul 82

1 Jul 82 -
Lt Col David L. Henderson

It Col Charles D. Fisher, Jr.

It Col Paul 0/Brien

It Col John W. Oliver

It Col. William H. Gaines

Lt Col Oliver W. Fix

Maj David W. Stell

Lt Col John P. Porter

It Col Philip P. Yarborough

Maj Joseph R. Lenhoff

15 Jun 60 - 31 Dec 60

1 Jan 61 -• 1 Jul 63

2 Jul 63 - 16 Jun 65

17 Jun 65 -. 17 Aug 67

18 Aug 67 - 15 Jul 70

16 Jul 70 - 27 Sep 72

28 Sep 72 - 15 Aug 76

16 Aug 76 - 1 Jul 79

1 Jul 79 - 26 Jun 81

26 Jun 81

DETACHMENT 6 

130

6593d Instrumentation

Squadron designated and

organized at Wheeler AFB,

Territory of Hawaii, and

assigned to 6594th Recovery

Control Group (6594th Test

Wing), eff 1 Nov 59.

Official location changed

unit location from Wheeler

AFB to Hickam AFB, Hawaii,

eff 7 Jun 60.

Reassigned from 6594th

Test Group to Hq AFSCF,

eff 1 Jul 72.

Redesignated from 6593d

Instrumentation Squadron

to Detachment 6, AFSCF,

with no change in station

or assignment, eff 1 Oct 79.

ARDC GO 224,

27 Oct 59

ARDC GO 56,

7 Jun 60

AFSC GO G-78,

20 Jun 72

Secretary of the

Air Force announcement,

Sep 79;

AFSC SO G-145,

18 Sep 79
OPERATING LOCATION AE 

Designated and

activated as Telemetry

and Command Station (TCS)

Oakhanger, United Kingdom,

and assigned to Hq AFSCF,

eff 15 Feb 78.

•AFSC SO G-11,

27 Jan 78

Liaison Officers 

MO Herbert J. Jansen 14 Apr 78 - 1 Jun 82 Capt John B. Ashbaugh

1 Jun 82 -

131
132

6594th Support Group

designated and organized

at Sunnyvale, CA., and

assigned to Hq AFSCF,

eff 1 Jul 65.

6594th AIR BASE SQUADRON

AFSC SO G-52,

21 Jun 65

Redesignated as 6594th

Air Base Squadron, AFSCF,

with no change in station

or assignment, eff

15 Jan 73.

AFSC SO G-146,

7 Nov 72

Commanders, 

Major James V. Gilliland

Lt Col Charles P. Russell

Maj Frederick H. Goessel, Jr.

It Col Edward H. Graalfs

It Col Ronald W. Hartrim

It Col Philip Jeter, Jr.

It Col Paul R. Myers

It Col Milton M. Clark

Lt Col Gregory M. Risch

Lt Col Richard M. Scredon

Lt Col James E. Reed

Lt Col Ellsworth E. Wiggins

1 Jul 65 - 31 Aug 66

1 Sep 66 - 30 Apr 68-

1 May 68 - 7 Jul 68

8 Jul 68 - 18 Jul 69

19 Jul 69 - 30 Apr 70

1 May 70 - 30 Sep 71

1 Oct 71 - 19 Aug 73

20 Aug 73 - 31 Aug 78

1 Sep 78 - 1 Apr 80

1 Apr 80 - 7 Aug 81

7 Aug 81 - 29 Sep 82

29 Sep 82 -
UNITS PREVIOUSLY

133

6593d TEST SQUADRON SPECIAL

Designated and organized

at Hickam AFB, Territory

of Hawaii, and assigned

to Hq ARDC with attachment to Hq AFBMD, Los

Angeles, CA., for admin

and operational control,

eff 1 Aug 58.

Operational control

reassigned to 6594th

Test Wing, Palo Alto,

CA., with no change

in station, eff 22 Jun 59.

ARDC GO 38,

22 Jul 58 .

Ltr, AFBMD/WDSPR,

22 Jun 59

Reassigned from Detachment 2,

..... ARDC GO Hq ARDC (AFBMD), to 6594th

27 Oct 59224, Recovery Control Group with

no change in station, eff

1 Nov 59.

Inactivated with personnel

and equipment reassigned to

6594th Test Group, Hickam

AFB, Hawaii, eff 1 Jul 72.

. .AFSC SO G-82,

23 Jun 72

Commanders

Maj Joseph G. Nellor

Lt Col oven E. Pratt, Jr.

Lt Col Joe B. Thomson, Jr.

Lt Col Grover P. Moore, Jr.

It Col Harold B. Wens

It Col Paul Stinson

Lt Col Marshall H. Fletcher

It Col Edward T. Lynch, Jr.

1 Aug 58 - 8 Jul 62

9 Jul 62 - 30 Jun 63

1 Jul 63 - 13 Jun 65

14 Jun 65 - 12 Jul 66

13 Jul 66 - 13 Jul 68

14 Jul 68 - 8 Oct 10

9 Oct 70 - 30 Oct 71

31 Oct 71 - 1 Jul 72
134

UNITS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO THE AFSCF

6594th TEST SQUADRON (AIR FORCE SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHIC

PROCESSING LABORATORY (AFSPPL) 

Designated and organized

at Westover AFB, MA., and

assigned to 6594th Test Wing

(Satellite), Sunnyvale, CA.,

eff 20 Feb 61.

Reestablished as the Air

Force Special Projects

Production Facility and

reassigned from Hq AFSCF

to Space Systems Division

(SSD), Jul-Dec 65.

ARDC SO G-15,

16 Feb 61

Ltr, AFSCF/SSOE,

"Hist Rept," 11 Feb 66

9 h LAUNCH 

Designated and organized

at Vandenberg AFB, CA.,

and assigned to 6594th

Test Wing, eff 1 Jun 59.

ARDC GO 40,.

6 May 59;

ARDC GO 39,

21 Nov 60

Discontinued eff 15 Jul 61. AFSC SO G-71,

28 Jun 61

6594th DATA PROCESSING SQUADRON

Designated and organized

at Lowry AFB, CO., and

assigned to 6594th Test

Wing, eff 1 Jul 59.

Redesignated as 4999th

Data Processing Squadron

with no change in station

or assignment, eff 1 Oct 59.

•ARDC GO 54,

17 Jun 59

ARDC GO 207,

25 Sep 59

Discontinued eff 1 Oct 60. ARDC GO 96,

21 Sep 60
UNITS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO THE AFSCF

OPERATING LOCATION 4

135

Operating Location 3

designated and activated

at Annette Island, Alaska,

assigned to 6594th Test

Wing, eff 6 Apr 59.

Discontinued eff 14 Mar 61.

Operating. Location 4

designated and activated

at Annette Island, Alaska,

assigned to 6594th Test

Wing (Satellite), eff

15 Oct 61.

Deactivated eff Jan-Jun 63.

ARDC GO 28,

3 Apr 59

AFBMD . S0 6,15,

3 Mar 61

AFSC SO G-70,

11 Oct 61

Hist Rept, 6594th

Test Wing/SSOC, 5 Aug 63.

Operating Location 3 '

designated . and activated

at Donnelly.Flats, Alaska,

assigned to 6594th Test

Wing (Satellite), eff

15 Mar 61.

OPERATING LOCATION 8*

AFBMD . S0 G-15,

3 Mar 61

Discontinued as OL-3 and AFSC SO G-40, designated Detachment 1, 2 Apr 62 6594th Aerospace Test

Wing, Fort Greely,

Donnelly Flats, Alaska,

eff 15 Apr 62.

Discontinued eff 1 Jul 65; AFSC SO G-52,

Designated Operating Location 8, 21 Jun 65 AFSCF.

Inactivated eff Nov-Dec 67. Hist Repts, AFSCF and

01-8, Jan-Jun 68

* Donnelly Flats/Ft. Greely Tracking Station constructed in 1961;

operated and funded by USAF with one officer, one enlisted personnel

authorizations. Station provided sPoradic specific program support

reaching operational ready status 6 Apr 66.
Capt Derrill D. Hartley

Maj Nelson Halstead

Lt Col Titus C. Hall

Maj Alex A. Pestrichella

Maj John C. Macpherson

Maj Robert P. Kellar

Jan 65 - Jan 67

Jan 67 - 30 Jun 67

1 Jul 67 - 6 Jun 69

7 Jun 69 - 24 Jun 71

26 Jun 71 - 10 Jun 73.

11 Jun 73 - 30 Sep 75

136

UNITS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO THE AFSCF

OPERATING LOCATION 1 

Designated Operating

Location 1, assigned to

6594th Test Wing, and

located at Edwards AFB, CA.,

eff 6 Apr 59.

Deactivated 30 Jun 73 and

consolidated with 6594th

Test Group at Hickam AFB,

Hawaii, eff 1 Jul 73.

OPERATING LOCATION AE 

Designated Operating

Location 2, assigned to

6594th Test Wing, and

located at Chiniak Point,

Kodiak, Alaska, eff 6 Apr 59.

Redesignated as Operating

Location AE, Kodiak Tracking

Station, Alaska, with

assignment to AFSCF, eff

Jan-Jun 74.

ARDC GO 28,

3 Apr 59

AFSC SO G-14,

22 Feb 73

ARDC GO 28,

3 Apr 59

Hist Rept, AFSCF/CCE,

Jul 74

Inactivated eff 30 Sep 75. ABC SO G-76,

3 Jul 75

Commander&

. .
Col Charles E. Hughes

Col Robert B. Savage

Col Robert A. Van Arsdall

Col George T. James, Jr.

Col John W. Browning

1 Jul 65 - 31 Dec 70

1.Jan 71 - 31 Aug 72

1 Sep 72 - 21 Sep 73

22 Sep 73 - 31 Jul 74

7 Aug 74 - 30 . Jun 77

UNITS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO THE AFSCF

DETACHMENT 1, AFSCF

Designated and organized

at Sunnyvale, CA., eff

1 Jul 65.

Inactivated w/personnel,

equipment, and functions

reassigned to Hq AFSCF,

Sunnyvale AFS, CA., eff

1 Jul 77.

AFSC SO G-52,

21 Jun 65

MSC SO G-58,

3 May 77

Commanders 

137

CAMP PARKS COMMUNICATIONS ANNEX 

Nominally assigned as

Camp Parks Radiometric

Test Facility, Pleasanton,

CA., to AFSCF, eff 1 Jul 70.

Designated as Operating

Location AB and activated

with no change in station

or assignment, eff 15 Jul 75.

OL-AB converted to contractor

operation and inactivated

with annex becoming the

responsibility of Hq AFSCF

staff function, eff 16 Feb 78.

Hist Rept AFSCF/SOE,

26 Jan 71

AFSC SO G-76,

3 Jul 75

AFSC SO G-37,

20 Mar 78

Commanders

It Col John C. MacPherson 15 Aug 75 - 31 Dec 76 Maj Joseph L. Jacobsen

1 Jan 77 - 16 Feb 78
138
139

ADS

Advanced Data System

AFBMD

Air Force Ballistic Missile Division

AFSATCOM

Air Force Satellite Communications

AFSC

Air Force Systems Ommnand

AFSCF

Air Force Satellite Control Facility

ARDC

Air Research and Development Command

ARPA

Advanced Research Projects Agency

ASTC

Advanced Satellite Test Center

BPS Bits per second

BUSTC

Back-Up Satellite Test Center

CDC Control Data Corporation

COMSAT Communications Satellite

CSOC

Consolidated Space Operations Center

DCA

Defense Communications Agency

DLT Data Link Terminal

DMSP

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program

DOD Department of Defense

DSCS

Defense Satellite Communications System

DSIS

DSCS/Satellite Control Facility Interface. System

ESD

Electronic Systems Division

EXCELS

Expanded Communications Electronics System

FLTSATCOM

Fleet Satellite Communications
Government of Seychelles

Global Positioning System

Guam Tracking Station

HIS Hawaii Tracking Station

IDCSP

Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program

INS Instrumentation Squadron

IOC Initial Operating Capability

IOS Indian Ocean Station

IWBC Interim Wideband Communications

JSC Johnson Space Center

KSC Kennedy Space Center

MCC Mission Control Complex

MOL Manned Orbiting Laboratory

MSAP Multi-Sat6llite Augmentation Program

MTS Mobile Tracking Station

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NBS New Boston Station

NHS New Hampshire Station

NRD National Range Division

OL Operating Location

140

GOS

GPS

GTS
PICE

PRELORT

RVCF

Programmable Integrated Control Equipment

P

recision Long Range Tracking (radar)

Remote Vehicle Checkout Facility

141

SAFS

Sunnyvale Air Force Station

SAMSO

Space and Missile Systems Organization

SCF

Satellite Control Facility

SD

Space Division

SGLS

Space-Ground Link Subsystem

SOPC

Shuttle Operations Planning Center

SSD

Space Systems Division

STA

Satellite Test Annex

STC

Satellite Test Center

STS

Space Transportation System

SYNCOM

Synchronous Communications

TT&C

ITS

Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding

Thule . Tracking Station

VERLORT

VTS

Very Long Range Tracking (radar)

Vandenberg Tracking Station

WDD

Western Development Division
142
143 Advanced Data System (ADS), 73,74 , 76,78,79,82 Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), 

Advanced STC (ASTC), 73,75,78,80 3- 5 , 1 8,20,23,24

Aerospace Corporation, 24

Air Force B

Air Force allistic Missile Division (AFBMD), 1-5,17-20,22-24,30 O

utstanding Unit Award (AFOUA), 

75,84,91,98,9,95,100,104

Air Force Satellite Conmunications ( 108

Air Force Systems Command (AFSC), AFSATCOM), 84,85

7 , 8 , 1 0,32,34,80

,8

Air Materiel Command (AMC), 7,32

Air. Research and D

29,30,32 evelopment Command (ARDC), 1,4,5,7,16,18-20,22-24,

Allen, Gen Lew Jr., 106

A

nderson, Lt Gen Samuel E., 19

Anik, 89

Annette Island, 5,7,8,22,32 ,34-36,47,135 Apollo, 69,72,76,79,80,84,87,89,95

Applications Technology Satellite, 91 Ariel I, 36

Ascension, 3

ASHCAN, 51,54,57,72

ASSET Program, 44,47,60

Atlantic Missile Range, 9,17,45,48

Atlas, 1,2,18,20,30,62,69

Autovon, 93

Backup STC, 89,90,93

B

allistic Systems Division (SW), 8,32 48 Biosatellite, 79,80

Can Parks, 12,13,80,82,95,137

Camp Roberts, 34,55,57,88

Chiniak, 5,22,136

Christmas Island, 39

ChronologY, 15-110

Clocks/Timing rate change, 85

Consolidated Open Mess, 85

Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC), 104,105,107

Data Link Terminal (DLT), 95,102

Data Systems Modernization (DSM), 12,108

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), 96,98,100,103-106 Defense Satellite Con

103,105,106 nunications System (DSCS), 12,76,85,86,91,97,100,

Discoverer, 3,5,6,18,20-23,29,30,32,33

DonneRy Flats, 10,32,36,62,68,74

Douglas, James H., 17

DSCS/SCF I nterface System (DSIS), 105

Edwards AFB, 

EXCELS, 73,82

4,19,22,43,51 , 88 ,90,103,108,136

Explorer, 17
144

Fleet Satellite Communications (FLTSATCOM), 

Fort Dix, 34,57 84,85,104,108

Fort Greely, 7,32,63,68,74 135

Gemini, 60,61,67,68

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), 107 Glenn, Lt Col John, 35

Global Positioning System (GPS), 82 , 91 ,95,101-105,107 Goddard, Robert, ii

Grand Bahamas, 3

Guam Tracking Station (GTS), 64,69,73,76,78,97,102,129

Hawaii Tracking Station (HTS), 

Hedrick, Col Walter H. Jr., 62,71

7,47,48,50,62 , 69 , 76,79,88,101,102,130

Indian Ocean Station (I0S), 8,40,44,47,52,58,59,67,72,82,88,102,

105-107,110,128

Initial Defense C

ommunications Satellite Program (IDCSP), 54,63,67, 69,70,74,75,79,85,106

Inspector General (IG), 106

Interim Wideband C

ommunications System (IWBC), 12,88,91,92

Jacobson, Col Ralph H., 97,106

Johnson, Roy, 18,20

Kaena Point, see "Hawaii Tracking Station"

Kennedy, President John F., 33

Kincaid, Col William K., 38,61

King, Col William G. Jr., 71,74

Kodiak Tracking Station (KTS), 7,8,34,48,52,57,60-62,75,79,88,95,136

Lockheed, 2,4-6,16-18,20,23,32,39,48,74,87,104

Lowe, Brig Gen Jessup D., 74,79

Mancham, James R., 97,100

Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program, 

Mariner, 38 47 ,48 , 61,63,67,68,78,90

Mathison, Col Charles G., 22,29

McElroy, Neil N., 3,17,18

McNamara, Robert S., 9,32,36,38,47,54,71

Mercury, 30,33,39,95

MIDAS, 5,16,23,32,33

Minuteman, 103

Mobile Tracking Station (MTS), 55,58,61,73,78,79,129

Moffett Naval Air Station, 33,106

Moore, Col Alvan N., 29,38

Motto, 13,33,73

Multi-Satellite Aug

mentation Program (MSAP), 8,43,44,48,57,60,66
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),

3,9,19,24,30,33,38,42,58,67,69,79,80,87,90,93,95,97,98. 100,101

National Range Division (NRD), 48,50,74

Network Interface Data System (NIDS), 107

New Hamp

shire/New Boston Tracking Station (NBS), 7,8,22,24,29,32,

33,34,42,48-50,69,76,85,87,89,101,102,105 Nixon, President Richard N., 87

Norman, Brig Gen Lewis S. Jr., 79,84

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Co 80,81,84,89,97,98,100,105 mmunications Satellites,

Operations Center, 107

Orbital Requirements Document (ORD), 35

Pacific Missile Range, 9,17,20,45,48

Palo Alto, 4,5,7,19,20,22,24,34.68

Pioneer, 19,20

Point Mugu, 8,17,33,61

Power, Lt Gen Thomas S., 16

Prelort (Precision Long Range Tracking radar), 43,50 Programmable Integrated Control E

P

quipment (PICE), 4,48,55 roject ADVENT, 24,36

Recovery Operations, 4,6,10,13,19,22,29,30,33-35,39,45,48,51,55,

57,59,60,63,66,68,76,91,93,101

Remote Vehicle Checkout Facility (RVCF), 87-89

Rene, President France Albert, 97,100,106

Sanders, Col Joe E., 106

SAMOS, 5,23,30,32

Schriever, Gen Bernard A., 1,10,16,17,18,22,29,,

Seychelles, 40,42,44,67 , 72 , 79 ,82,88,97,100,106,11

30

0

47,60,63,71

Shemya, Alaska, 47,50

Shepard, Alan B. Jr., 33

Shuttle Op

erations and Planning Center (SOPC), 98,99,101 Skylab, 90,106

Skynet, 72,79,81,82,91,93

Snap vehicles, 44,61

Soviet Union, 2,17,33,60,72,95

Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO), 7,74,75 Space Division (SD), 7,106

Space-Ground Link Subsystem (SGLS), 

Space Shuttle, 8,12,34,40 , 52 , 61,62,66,75,76,78,82 12,79,80,87-88,90,93,95 , 97 , 98 ,100,101,104-106,108,109 Space Systems Division (SSD), 7-10,32,42 , 45 ,48,52,62,66,72,74 Space Test Program (STP), 93,94,97

Sputnik, 2,17

Space Transportation System (STS), 72,78-80 ,82,87,88,93,109

Sunnyvale Air Force Station (SAFS), 1,82,83,102,108

145
146

TACSAT, 72,76,82

TCS Oakhanger, 12,97,100,103,105

Telstar, 38,89

Thor, 1,2,4,17-20,38,91

Thule Tracking Station (TTS), 7,8,33-35,39 

TIROS, 19,20,24 42,48,54,57,59,62 78,93

Titan, 18,62,63,69,78

USNS Longview, 59-61,91,93

USNSSEinvale 59,60,91,93

Univac 1230 mTc, 82,101

Van Arsdall, Col Robert A., 93,97

Vandenberg Tracking Station (VTS), 4,7,8,32,33,34,38,43,47,48,55,60,62,

63,66,69,71,76,89,98,101,106

Vela, 8,30,45,46,52,73,78,84,95,98,105

Verlort (very long range tracking radar), 3,39,50 59

von Braun, Wernher, ii,87

Weapon System 117L, 2-6,16-18,23

Westar, 91

Western Development Division (WDD), 1,16,17

Western Test Range, 3,18

White, Gen Thomas D., 3

Wideband Communications, 84,89,105

Word Processing Center, 107

Zuckert, Eugene M., 32

Numbered Units

Detachment 3, 1901st Comm Sq, 95

76th Air Rescue Sq, 45

3960th Support Wing, 61

4999 Data Processing Sq, 23,29,134

6593rd INS, 23,24,39,88,106,130

6593rd Test Sq (Special), 4-6,19,22,23,29,34-34,39,40,42,45,47,51,54,57,

63,66,72,76,88,133

6594th Aerospace Test Wing, 

6594th Air Base S 7,10,34,36,38,43 , 45 , 48,50,54,61,62,72,112 quadron, 89,132

6594th Data Processing Sq, 22,23,134

6594th INS, 23,45,62,87,106,126

6594th Launch Sq, 22,33,134

6594th Recovery Control Group, 4,10,23 , 35 , 39 ,59,62,63,66,68 6594th Support Group, 10,62,89

6594th Test Group, 4,68,88,90,107,113,124

6594th Test S9, 30,62, 133

6594th Test Wing, 4,5,22,23,24,112

6594th Test Wing (Satellite), 5-7,24,29,30,32-34,112

6594th Test Squadron Photography, 62,134
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DISTRIBUTION 

Hq USAF/CHO, Bolling AFB, DC 20332

AFSHRC/TI, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112

AFSC/HO, Andrews AFB, DC 20334

ASD/HO, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433

AMD/HO, Brooks AFB, TX 78235

AFCMD/HO, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117

ESD/HO, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731

FTD/HO, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433

• SD/HO, Los Angeles, CA 90009

ESMC/HO, Patrick AFB, FL 32925

WSMC/HO, Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437

BMO/HO, Norton AFB, CA 92409

AFFTC/HO, Edwards AFB, CA 93523

AD/HO, Eglin AFB, FL 32542

AEDC/HO, Arnold AFS, TN 37389

AFGL/HO, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731

AFHRL/HO, Brooks AFB, TX 78235

AFOSR/HO, Andrews AFB, DC 20334

AFRPL/TSPR, Edwards AFB, CA 93523

AFWL/HO, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117

AFWAL/XRPI, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

' RADC/HO, Griffiss AFB, NY 13441

AFSCF/CC, Sunnyvale AFS, CA 94086

AFSCF/BJ

AFSCF/DC

--------AfSCEiDV

AFSCF/EV

AFSCF/JA

AFSCF/LG

AFSCF/PC

AFSCF/PM

AFSCF/R0

AFSCF/RY

AFSCF/SE

AFSCF/SL

AFSCF/SP

AFSCF/VO

AFSCF/WE

AFSCF/XR

AFSCF/VX

6594 ABS/CC

6594 ABS/DA

6594 ABS/DE

SD/OLAI/DPM

VO/LMSC

SD/OLAI/DPES

SD/OLAI/ACFPM "

SPACECOM/XPSS, Peterson Field, CO.

6594 ABS/SU, Sunnyvale AFS, CA 94086

147

45433

It 11 11