30th Space Wing
| 30th Space Wing | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1964–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Satellite Launch |
| Part of | Air Force Space Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Decorations |
 AFOUA AFOEA
|
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel John "Chris" Moss |
| Notable commanders |
C. Robert Kehler Lance W. Lord |
The 30th Space Wing (30 SW) 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. The 30th Space Wing is based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The 30 SW is the Air Force Space Command organization responsible for all Department of Defense space and missile launch activities on the West Coast. All U.S. satellites destined for near polar orbit are launched from Vandenberg.
The wing supports West Coast launch activities for the Air Force, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and various private industry contractors. The wing launches a variety of expendable vehicles including the Delta II, Pegasus, Taurus, Atlas, Titan II and Titan IV. The wing also supports Force Development and Evaluation of all intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The 30th SW is home to the Western Range and manages Department of Defense space and missile testing, and placing satellites into near-polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters (Delta II, Atlas, Titan II and Titan IV.) Wing personnel also support the Service's Minuteman III and Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation Launch program. The Western Range begins at the coastal boundaries of Vandenberg and extends westward from the California coast to the western Pacific including sites in Hawaii. Operations there involve dozens of federal and commercial interests.
The Western Range is operated by the 2nd Range Operations Squadron and maintained by the 30th Range Management Squadron. It is a vast tracking, telemetry, and command complex whose boundary begins along Vandenberg's California coastline and extends westward across the Pacific Ocean. The range consists of electronic and optical tracking systems located along the Pacific Coast that collect and process launch-related data for a variety of users.
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