THE AIR FORCE SATELLITE CONTROL FACILITY OPERATIONS

Abstract

The Air Force Satellite Control Facility (AFSCF) originated over twenty years ago, and has evolved into a global satellite support network. This global network includes seven Remote Tracking Stations (RTSs), support elements, and the Satellite Test Center (STC) located in Sunnyvale, California. The AFSCF provides real-time telemetry, tracking, and commanding (TT&C) support to Department of Defense (DoD) spacecraft and launch vehicles. Since its inception in response to changing DoD space support requirements, the AFSCF network has grown through expansion and modernization of its tracking, data processing, and communication capabilities. The AFSCF network supports over 52,000 satellite contacts per year. This paper describes the operations performed in support of one of these contacts.