1st Air and Space Test Squadron The 1st Air and Space Test Squadron is a unit of the 30th Space Wing of the United States Air Force , responsible for spacelift and test operations . The squadron ' s operations include launching of the Minotaur I and Minotaur IV and Pegasus rockets ; as well as testing the Boeing Interceptor and Minotaur II target vehicles . Mission . The squadron ' s mission is to provide complete service launch and test operations for current and future space launch vehicles , targets , interceptors and experimental space systems . History . World War II . The squadron was established by Headquarters , United States Army Air Corps in early 1940 as the 1st Photographic Squadron . It performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor Attack using obsolescent cargo and Martin B - 10 bombers as aerial platforms . After the United States entry into World War II , equipped with Lockheed A - 29 Hudson s , Beech C - 45 Expeditor s and Douglas A - 20 Havoc s ( all in photographic reconnaissance configuration ) and performed aerial photography and mapping in uncharted areas of Newfoundland , Labrador and Greenland for development of Northeast Transport Route for the movement of aircraft , personnel and supplies across the North Atlantic from the United States to Iceland and the United Kingdom . The squadron re - equipped with long - range Consolidated B - 24 Liberator reconnaissance aircraft and deployed to Alaska in late 1943 , assisting in the establishment of landing fields in the Aleutian Islands ; also to map uncharted areas of internal Alaska to establish Lend Lease aircraft emergency landing fields over trans - Alaska route from Ladd Field and Elmendorf Field to Nome . The squadron was relieved from assignment in Alaska and returned to Continental United States . It deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations across the South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944 . It performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily ; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B - 24s and some Boeing B - 17 Fs converted to F - 9 reconnaissance configuration over non - combat areas . It then deployed to India and China ; performing unarmed long - range mapping of remote areas of the China - Burma - India Theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and the Malay Peninsula for follow - up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India . The unit returned to the United States in late 1944 . It was equipped with very long range Boeing B - 29 Superfortress es converted to F - 13A reconnaissance configuration . It deployed to the Central Pacific Area and was assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater after the Japanese Capitulation . The squadron remained in the Western Pacific performing reconnaissance mapping flights over Japan , Korea and China . B - 29s returned to the United States in early 1946 for storage or reassignment ; unit largely demobilized on Okinawa , flying some light liaison and courier aircraft . It was inactivated in early 1947 and disbanded on 8 October 1948 . Test Operations in the Pacific . The squadron replaced the 6400th Test Squadron , which had been organized in 1967 , in 1969 . It conducted weapons system evaluation , known as COMBAT SAGE , of F - 4 aircraft , of F - 15 aircraft from 1980 , and of F - 16 aircraft from 1982 , until shortly before inactivation . It also trained visiting aircrews from other Pacific Air Forces units in weapons employment and tactics . Lineage . 1st Photographic Squadron ( later 1st Reconnaissance Squadron ) 1st Test Squadron ( later 1st Air and Space Test Squadron )