‘©. United States Air HEADQUARTERS SPACE DIVISION (AFSC) OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LOS ANGELES AFS PO BOX 92960, WORLDWAY POSTAL CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA 90009 (213) 643-0254 AV 833-0254 86-005 AIR FORCE SATELLITE CONTROL FACILITY The Alr Force Satellite Control Facility, headquartered at Onizuka Air Force Station, Sunnyvale, Callf., Is responsible for acquiring, maintaining and operating a spacecraft support network for the Department of Defense. The facility, a unit of the Alr Force Systems Command's Space Division In Los Angeles, Cal!if., commands and controls orbiting military spacecraft through Its worldwide network of satellite tracking and commanding stations. Resources Satel!Ite Test Center, Onizuka Alr Force Station - the nerve center for Satellite Control Facility operations. It Is | Inked to seven remote tracking stations by an intricate communications network. - Thuie Alr Base Tracking Station, Greenland. “mor e-
- Guam Track!Ing Station, Anderson Air Force Base. ~ Indtan Ocean Tracking Station, Seychelles Group - Royal Air Force Oakhanger Tracking Station, England ~ Vandenberg Alr Force Base Tracking Station, Callf. - also supports space jaunches and ballIistic missile activittes. ~ New Hampshire Tracking Station - through land! Ine communications { Ink, It also supports pre-launch checkouts at Cape Canaveral! Alr Force Station, Fla. - Hawall Tracking Station, Kaena Polnt Alr Force Station ~ assists with baillstic misstle tests. Remote tracking stations have been strategically located to support equatorial !aunches from the Eastern Space and Missile Center and polar launches from the Western Space and Missiie Center, and to continuously support satellites In a varlety of orblts. The Satelilte Control Facility supports an Inventory of approximately 45 satellites whose missions Include navigation, meteorology, communications and surveillance. Data recovered from orbiting satellites are recorded at a tracking station. They are then transmitted directly to the Satellite Test Center or are processed In the tracking station's computers then transmitted to the center for data reduction and analysis. Three basic network functions are performed for most satellites: TELEMETRY - tracking stations receive and record telemetry Information about the health and status of the sateililte. TRACKING ~ the test center sends anguiar tracking data to the remote stations that predict the satellite's path to the tracking station. The moment the satel!Ite clears the horlzon and Is acquired by the station, the center Is provided the new satellite position Information. Both angular and range data are used to update predicted orbital parameters and ephemer! des. COMMANDING - In response to satellite owner Instructions, the center directs the responsible tracking station to transmit a varlety of commands to the spacecraft. The center and !ts seven remote tracking stations constitute the largest and buslest satelilte control capability In the free world. Five of the seven stations can support two satellites at one time. The Satellite Control Facility Is entering a perlod of time In which major changes to current operational methodology and capability will occur. These changes wil! provide better network survivabli!ity, modernized systems and new program support capabIl ities. Highlights of these changes follow: ~more-
Space operations wil! be enhanced by the Consolidated Space Operations Center which will have a satellite control facility called the Satellite Operations Complex and a space shuttle operational facility called the Shuttle Operations and Planning Complex. The operations center, which Is belng developed by Space Division, Is located at Falcon Alr Force Station near Peterson Alr Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo. It Is under operational control of the Alr Force Space Command. The Satel!!te Operations Complex will expand the satellite control capablI ity needed to meet growling mission requirements and will provide primary support for some satellite programs and contingency support for ail other programs. The Shuttle Operations and Planning Complex wil! command and control all Defense Department space shuttle misslons from launch through tanding, and provide shuttle filght planning, flight readiness and support. A new system called data system modernization wlll central {!ze command and control of the entire tracking network, and more effictently use existing resources. Resource scheduilng, switching and routing wii! be under computer control to speed up turnaround times from one operation to another. Telemetry, data reception, analysis, storage, display and archiving wlll be done by computers witheut significant operator assistance. Modernization will meet the rising demand for space support and reduce IIfe cycle costs through reduction of equipment and manpower. More than 3,500 Alr Force, contractor and clviilan people support the Satellite Control Facil Ity. Space DIviston headquarters Is studying a number of ways to Improve satellite control systems and to ensure effective support to ail systems when required. These control systems Inciude satellites, portabie replacements for Inoperative ground equipment, and communications capabl!Ity between different tracking networks. Major Contractors Ford Aerospace and Communications Corp., Sunnyvale, Callf. Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Sunnyvale, Cal lf. iBM, Federal Systems Division, Bethesda, Md. -SD-