The 1st Air and Space Test Squadron is a division of the 30th Space Wing

30th Space Wing

The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...

 of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

, responsible for spacelift and test operations.

The squadron's operations include launching of the Minotaur I

Minotaur (rocket)

The Minotaur is a family of American solid fuel rockets derived from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are built by Orbital Sciences Corporation....

 and Pegasus

Pegasus rocket

The Pegasus rocket is a winged space launch vehicle capable of carrying small, unmanned payloads into low Earth orbit. It is air-launched, as part of an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation . Three main stages burning solid propellant provide the thrust...

 rockets; as well as testing the Boeing Interceptor

Ground-Based Midcourse Defense

Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is the United States system for intercepting incoming warheads in space. Currently, it is a major component of the U.S. national missile defense strategy aimed against ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles...

 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

Mapped areas of the United States, 1940-1943; Alaska, Canada, Newfoundland, Labrador, and Greenland, 1941-1943; Africa, Middle East, India, and China, 1943-1944; Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia, 1944; and the Far East, 1945-1947. Conducted weapons system evaluation, known as COMBAT SAGE, of F-4 aircraft from 1969, of F-15 aircraft from 1980, and of F-16 aircraft from 1982, until shortly before inactivation. Also trained visiting aircrews in weapons employment and tactics.

Lineage

• Constituted 1st Photographic Squadron on 22 Dec 1939

Activated on 1st Feb 1940

Re-designated: 1st Mapping Squadron on 13 Jan 1942

Re-designated: 1st Photographic Mapping Squadron on 9 Jun 1942

Re-designated: 1st Photographic Charting Squadron on 11 Aug 1943

Re-designated: 1st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Heavy on 10 Nov 1944

Re-designated: 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic-RCM on 4 Oct 1945

Re-designated: 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic on 13 Nov 1945

Inactivated on 10 Mar 1947

Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948

• Reconstituted, and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with 1st Test Squadron, which was constituted on 12 Sep 1969

Activated on 15 Oct 1969

Inactivated on 30 Oct 1991

• Re-designated 1st Air and Space Test Squadron on 28 Oct 2003

Activated on 1 Dec 2003.

Assignments

• Office of Chief of Air Corps, 1 Feb 1940
• 1st Photographic (later, 1 Mapping; 1 Photographic Charting) Group
  1st Photographic Group
  The 1st Photographic Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 311th Photographic Wing, stationed at Buckley Field, Colorado. It was inactivated on 5 October 1944.-History:...
  
  , 10 Jun 1941
• 11th Photographic Group
  11th Photographic Group
  The 11th Photographic Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida...
  
  , 1 Dec 1943
• 311th Photographic Wing, 5 Oct 1944
• Second Air Force
  Second Air Force
  The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
  
  , 10 Nov 1944

Attached to Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, c. 9 Sep 1945

• 311th Reconnaissance Wing, 4 Oct 1945

Attached to: United States Army Strategic Air Forces, 4 Oct 1945

Attached to: Far East Air Forces, 21 Nov 1945

Attached to: VII Bomber Command

VII Bomber Command

The VII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Seventh Air Force, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946.-Lineage:...

, 10 Dec 1945

Attached to: Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, Mar 1946

Attached to: 1st Air Division, 7 Jun 1946

• Far East Air Forces, 3 Feb 1947
• Thirteenth Air Force
  Thirteenth Air Force
  The Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
  
  

Attached to 5th Reconnaissance Group, 11 Feb-10 Mar 1947

• 6th Air Division, 15 Oct 1969
• Thirteenth Air Force
  Thirteenth Air Force
  The Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
  
   15 Dec 1969
• 405th Fighter Wing, 20 Apr 1970
• 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 Sep 1974
• 6200d Tactical Fighter Training Group, 1 Jan 1980-30 Oct 1991
• 30th Launch Group
  30th Launch Group
  The 30th Launch Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, California.-Overview:The 30th Launch Group is responsible for booster and satellite technical oversight and launch processing activities to include launch, integration and test operations...
  
  , 1 Dec 2003-Present

Stations

• Bolling Field, DC, 1 Feb 1940
• Bradley Field, CT, 5 Dec 1941
• MacDill Field, FL, 15 Jan 1944

Deployed to Accra Airfield, Gold Coast, British West Africa, 11 Mar-13 Oct 1944

• Smoky Hill Army Airfield, KS, 26 Oct 1944-31 Jul 1945

• Kadena Field
  Kadena Air Base
  , is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
  
  , Okinawa, 9 Sep 1945
• Clark Field, Philippines, 11 Feb-10 Mar 1947
• Clark AB, Philippines, 15 Oct 1969-30 Oct 1991
• Vandenberg AFB, CA, 1 Dec 2003-Present

Aircraft

• C-8, 1940
• B-10, 1940
• C-45/F-2, 1940; 1946-1947
• A-29, 1941-1942
• A-20/F-3, 1942
• B-24/F-7, 1942-1945
• B-34, 1942-1944
• B-25, 1943
• B-17/F-9, 1943-1944

• B-29/F-13, 1944-1947
• L-4, 1946
• L-5, 1946-1947
• F-4, 1969-unkn (at least thru 1989)
• BQM-34A, 1969-1989
• F-15, 1980-unkn (at least thru 1989)
• F-16, 1982-unkn (at least thru 1989)
• MQM-107D, 1989-unkn.

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: April 3 – May 31, 1975, July 1, 1976 – June 30, 1977, April 1, 1980 – March 31, 1982, July 1, 1985 – June 30, 1987, June 1, 1988 – June 1, 1990.
• Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation: July 21 – August 15, 1972.

External links

• Fact Sheet: 1st Air and Space Test Squadron