ABOUT 21st Space Wing
- The 21st Space Wing is based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- It was officially activated on July 18, 1955 as the 21st Air Division, making it one of the oldest space wings in the United States Air Force.
- The wing's mission is to provide missile warning and space control to support national security objectives.
- In 1983, the 21st Space Wing initiated the first phase of the Air Force's Space Surveillance Network, which tracks objects in Earth's orbit.
- The wing played a critical role in tracking the debris from the 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test, providing warnings to satellite operators to avoid collisions.
- The 21st Space Wing oversees the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a Cold War-era bunker designed to withstand a nuclear attack and serve as a command center for NORAD.
- In 2008, the wing was assigned the responsibility of managing the worldwide Air Force Satellite Control Network, which operates and maintains the military's satellites.
- The 21st Space Wing has been awarded numerous unit citations for its contributions to national security, including the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award.
- The wing has a long history of supporting space launches and tracking satellites for NASA and commercial space companies.
- In 2019, the 21st Space Wing provided support for the first successful test flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which carried astronauts to the International Space Station.
