Space Development and Test Wing

• Origins: The Space Development and Test Wing (SDTW) was established in 2006 at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, as part of the Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center. • Mission: The SDTW was tasked with developing, testing, and evaluating space systems and technologies, serving as a critical bridge between concept and operational deployment. • Predecessor Units: The SDTW’s lineage traces back to the Space and Missile Test and Evaluation Directorate and the Phillips Research Site, both of which played significant roles in early Air Force space activities. • Division Structure: The SDTW consisted primarily of two groups: the Space Development Group (SDG) and the Space Test Group (STG), each responsible for different aspects of space system innovation and assessment. • Responsive Space: The SDTW was pivotal in the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) initiative, rapidly fielding small satellites and space assets to meet urgent warfighter needs. • XSS-11 Mission: One of SDTW’s notable projects was the XSS-11 microsatellite, designed to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations in space, which successfully launched in 2005. • Innovative Technology: The Wing managed early experiments in space situational awareness, satellite servicing, and “plug-and-play” spacecraft component architectures. • Testing Range: The SDTW operated the Kirtland Test Range, a unique asset for on-orbit experimentation and the testing of sensors and other space-based technologies. • Organizational Evolution: In 2011, the SDTW was reorganized and redesignated as the Space Development and Test Directorate (SMC/SD), reflecting changes in Air Force space priorities. • Legacy: The work and expertise developed by the SDTW contributed to the rapid advancement of U.S. operational space capabilities, influencing modern space acquisition and rapid prototyping processes within the U.S. Space Force.