Active 1966-1996 Type Space Surveillance | Country United States Role Passive Surveillance | |
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Branch United States Air Force Part of Air Force Space Command/73d Space Group | ||
The United States Air Force's 17th Space Surveillance Squadron (17 SSS) was a space surveillance unit located at RAF Edzell, Scotland. Before its inactivation, the 17th SSS operated sensors for the Low-Altitude Surveillance System (LASS).
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History
The 17th Space Surveillance Squadron (17 SSS) was originally constituted as the 17th Radar Squadron (17th RS), and activated, on 1 November 1966. The 17th SS operated a radar sensor for the USAF Spacetrack System, first in New Jersey then later tracking People's Republic of China missile launches and southerly launches from the Soviet Union from Thailand, until its inactivation in May 1976. Reactivating as the 17th Surveillance Squadron (17th SS) on 1 August 1982, the unit provided low-altitude space surveillance until its subsequent inactivation in June 1989. Reactivating again in October 1993, the newly designated 17th Space Surveillance Squadron (17th SSS) operated sensors for the Low-Altitude Space Surveillance System, until its final inactivation and closure of RAF Edzell in 1996. With the inactivation of the 73rd Space Group and closure of RAF Edzell, Scotland, in October 1996, the 5th Space Surveillance Squadron, at RAF Feltwell, United Kingdom incorporated the LASS mission.